Bloodlust
by lyrainthedark
Summary: The quest is finally over, the jewel is finally complete. But Inuyasha wants what he can't have; Kagome leaves to escape his betrayal, and runs into Sesshomaru. Who knew that not being afraid could be more dangerous than the one you are supposed to fear?
1. I: All Alone In The Night

I.

All Alone In The Night

* * *

Light touched the ground in a small clearing, illuminating the trees with a green-glow of strange brilliance, touching leaves and branches with a seamless brightness. It moved across Kagome's face as she lay dreaming in the shadows. She slept on; neither the touch of the light or the cessation of wild-wood noises disturbed her. The approach of a presence her waking self would have leapt from did not concern her in the depth of her sleep.

It was not wise for a lone human traveler to succumb so deeply to dreams, but the place had been safe and empty enough when she lay aside her burdens. It was not wise for her to forget that the pace of her own feet was a human pace, and easily outmatched by many of those who might wish her harm.

But she had forgotten, or the night-fog had dulled her senses, or divine watchfulness had ensured that she would not escape this encounter. The cause did not matter; in the growing silence, her lips moved with a whisper of breath that held no audible sounds, and she turned, and was not aware.

In the tree shadows at the opposite side of the tiny clearing, another shadow was moving. Streamlined in the black shade, revealing only a glint of white from hair and fang, the cause of the sudden silence remained imbedded in the patches of darkness and flitted around the moonlight as though it burned.

A few moments later the demon presence finally made impression on the Kagome's dreams. Her eyes snapped open, and her hands groped desperately for the bow she had laid against the tree behind her when she first lay down. Her fingers found nothing; it was only when she stopped to cast a glance quickly behind her that she noticed both bow and arrows were missing.

"They would be useless anyway, woman."

Kagome looked back in front of her, staring fearfully at the bearer of the youkai presence that had woken her.

_Sesshomaru!_

She saw then that both her bow and quiver were in his hands; the speed, the spare, silent movement that he must have used to accomplish such a maneuver was almost terrifying, but she found herself eerily free of fear. After all, he could have killed her while she slept, and she was still breathing...but it was more than that. In a strange way, she felt that she could _trust_ him.

She did not remember when it was she had decided to ignore his harshness, to ignore the threat he presented to her life. Maybe it was after he walked away from fighting Inuyasha when he transformed, maybe it was after she noticed that Sesshomaru, though darker, stronger, faster, had never really done his brother any real harm; indeed, had lost an arm to his brother's first use of the Tetsusaiga's transformed power.

Slowly, careful to make no threatening movements, careful not to send so much as a disrespectful eye his way, Kagome stood.

"…Sesshomaru-sama."

She bowed slightly, as one does to an equal, and her bound hair fell forward and pooled on the ground in front of her. She stared at it. How long had it been since she had had it cut - how long had it been since she had been among people?

_Months, now._

She had not dared to stop too long in populated places; the few villages she passed through were glad enough for her presence, once they understood she was a miko – but still. She had worried that Inuyasha might be just behind her, and did not want to endanger innocent villagers. But Kagome pushed her own thoughts, her own difficulties, out of her head, and as she stood straight again Sesshomaru only raised an eyebrow in inquisitive surprise.

For once, his brother's miko was behaving properly. Delicately, he sniffed at the air around them, and detected no trace of fear in her scent. She was not afraid. She was human, unarmed, and she was not afraid. He was not sure whether to be complimented or insulted, and settled instead on…nothing.

"Why are you alone on my lands, woman? I cannot detect my half-breed brother's scent, not even on _you_. Has he died, and saved me the trouble of killing him?"

Kagome took a step backwards, felt the bark of the tree against her back and then slid down to sit where she had been laying. Smoothly, she wrapped her arms around her knees and leaned back against the tree. Of course he would ask...about Inuyasha. Her features shifted slightly, revealing layers of poorly hidden emotions; grief, and bitterness, and regret.

"I have not traveled with your brother for several months, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Months."

The word was toneless, dismissive.

"Months; yes. It was just before the last new moon of winter that we defeated Naraku, but after...after Naraku was dead, after the shikon no tama was whole again..."

She closed her eyes against a flash of memory that promised to be painful – gold drowned in red, in darkness -

"After the shikon no tama was whole again, Inuyasha wanted...a trade. My life, for that of someone who was already dead. I could've gone home...but I don't know, if I did that, if I would ever be able to come back here again. I was afraid I'd never see Sango again, or Miroku...or Shippou. So I – left..."

_Stupid-_

The thoughts flickered through her quickly.

_Left , and I can never go back again anyway...but it doesn't matter, does it? Without...him..._

"I…left him. I left Inuyasha behind."

Sesshomaru sensed that the woman was on the brink of tears, and was surprised when she controlled them and instead held up the completed and purified shikon no tama, sparkling pink in the sunlight.

"This jewel...I almost _wished_ everything better. But I knew that couldn't really help. This – this _thing _-!"

Kagome's fingers shook slightly; Sesshomaru thought it looked like she wanted to throw the sparkling bauble away more than anything else. He didn't understand this; had she not journeyed for years seeking to restore it? Human lives were short; why would she waste so much of hers if it was not her desire to do so?

He found himself vaguely irritated by his curiosity and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Did she intend to continue talking at him? Did she think he _cared_?

But Kagome was already a step ahead of him – or maybe two.

"Sesshomaru-sama, why are you...interested? I know you hate your brother, and I know you hate humans, so why this sudden concern?"

His features remained still as stone, and he was silent for nearly a minute before he decided to answer.

"Concern, woman? I am...not concerned. You are trespassing; I assumed my brother would be with you, but if he is not then I must look elsewhere."

And with that, he dropped her bow and quiver at her feet, and turned to leave. Not hurrying, he stepped away – and, suddenly, with no warning even in her own mind, Kagome scrambled up and stumbled three steps toward him and took hold of his sleeve.

The expression on his face as he looked back at her was frozen, but she saw – or thought she saw – a glimmer of confusion; it was somehow encouraging and she found her voice to be suddenly unstuck.

"I know where Inuyasha is, Sesshomaru."

_Yes, I know where he is...if he isn't following me._

Instantly, incredibly, he was back in front of her, looming over her, his eyes both dark and bright. She had not seen him move.

"Tell me!"

Looking up at him, one hand lifted because unreasonably, she had not let go of his sleeve, Kagome shook her head.

"No."

The word was soft, so soft that Sesshomaru almost couldn't believe he had heard it - that she had _said _it. Didn't she know that it was dangerous to deny him? His eyes narrowed.

Where this w_oman_, this miko, was concerned, he had always been easily agitated. In his own father's tomb, she had defied him, encouraging his brother to take the inheritance that otherwise would have been his own. She had lived, then; chance had saved her. In all this time, had she learned nothing?

Sesshomaru shook her hand off his sleeve with a lashing movement of his arm, and with preternatural speed drew his sword and pressed the demon blade against her throat. She stood still, completely unmoving, and he found himself suddenly infuriated. Why was there no change in her scent? Why was her heartbeat still steady?

"I could kill you, woman."

The words echoed in Kagome's thoughts, circulated and rebounded in her skull_._

_I could kill you, woman_.

And she acknowledged to herself that it was true; he _could_ – but she did not think he would.

_Or wouldn't he just have done it already?_

She took a deep breath, wondering what to say – and the answer came to her quickly, easily, floated to the surface on the tide of her thoughts.

"That may be; but I will not tell you where to find him, Sesshomaru-sama."

At her throat, the blade tensed, pressed inwards. In another moment, she knew it would be deep in her throat - and then she sighed, almost cut herself with the motion.

"I will not tell you, but I will take you to him."

"_Take_ me?"

His voice was completely flat, but she heard the dismissal in it.

"You can kill me, Sesshomaru-sama. We both know it."

His eyes dilated, looking down at her; she saw the prowling Inu in his gaze, the bloodthirsty intentions, and wondered what was holding them back. In the face of that stare she knew that no power she possessed - no arrow, no miko light - would be enough, and the knowledge softened her voice.

"Or you can allow me to live, and I will lead you to your brother. I know…exactly where he is."

The words that finally came out of Sesshomaru's mouth were half-growl, laced with fury that she had never heard in him before - and his question was not at all what she expected.

"Why? Why don't you fear me?"

To his complete and utter shock, she smiled; it was his shock, and that faint, flickering smile, that kept her alive. She felt the blade of his sword relaxing against her throat before she even began to speak.

"There are two reasons, Sesshomaru-sama, but mostly I think it's because I don't really have a reason to care…if I live or die. I'm all alone now."

Sesshomaru blinked. It was not an answer that he had expected; for reasons he did not understand, it relaxed the immediate pressure of his anger, brought back his curiosity.

"Two reasons, you said. What is the other?"

She looked straight into his eyes, swallowed the pain that that brought up inside her - amber, his eyes, the raw-honey color that she knew so well...but so cold!

"I can't face him alone, Sesshomaru-sama. I cannot face Inuyasha. But _you_ can - I have always known that, even after...the first time."

Her eyes moved involuntarily, fixated on the empty sleeve hanging from his shoulder. It angered him - the reminder that this weak, human woman had been witness to his greatest shame. For that alone, should he not kill her, here, now? Or…was there something she could do for him, a way she could be useful? The power she had used once to threaten him was stronger now; he did not fear her, he feared nothing, but the aura of _miko_ was so bright it was nearly palpable around her. If she sought to _use _him, to salve her own fear, her own inability to confront the half-breed, then she owed him a debt. And there was a way….

He was not one to equivocate, even in his own mind.

"I have a condition of my own, miko."

She was alerted to something different in him, something that had changed, by the change in his address.

_Miko, not just _woman_? What…brought that on?_

"You will assist me in restoring what I have lost to Inuyasha's foolishness. My arm - you will return it to me."

Kagome pressed his sword away from her throat with one hand. It was loose against her flesh and he did not protest, but she was careless with her hand, and slit her palm.

"I don't know if I can do that, Sesshomaru-sama. I do not think it is in my power, but if it is something I can do - I will."

She waited for his answer, his acknowledgment, but Sesshomaru was lost, lost in ways that she could not see and could never have guessed.

He had caught a sweet, thick scent; it ravished his thoughts and made his sensitive nostrils twitch. It was the scent of blood, powerful demon blood; it darkened the red flash of the Inu in his eyes. Everything in his vision took on a red haze.

Sesshomaru stood stiffly still, breathing deeply, a growl building deep in his chest, and Kagome turned away from him, shrugging, confused, and began to dig through her bag for a bandage. When she turned back again to peer at him, her eyes widened and she stood tall; for the first time in this strange encounter, she felt a flicker of fear and dampened it, licked her lips.

"Sesshomaru – you -"

Before she could move, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. He brought her bleeding palm close to his nose and ceased her struggling with a sharp growl and a tug on her offending limb. He was fighting, fighting and losing. The blood-scent was speaking to him from the undeniable depths; _Take_, it said. _Claim_. It was instinct, he knew it even as he attempted to overcome it; instinct - but that in itself did not make sense.

"Miko! What are you?"

Kagome saw the conflict in him but did not know its source. The touch of madness and the beast in his voice, its harsh-gravel tones, reminded her of Inuyasha when he had succumbed to his demon blood. A second, darker twinge of fear overcame her other emotions.

"I am a human woman, a human woman and a miko. That is all - Sesshomaru!"

The words were a cry, accompaniment to the rumbling growl that broke from Sesshomaru's chest and made her jump back as he sniffed the blood slipping down her palm, breathing deeply, his eyes hooded, his expression impenetrable. He had pulled her so close that her hair moved with his breath; easily, his grip strangely gentle, he turned her bloody palm and _tasted_ her. Fascinated, she watched his tongue move over the gash, waiting for a shudder of disgust that never came.

Expecting pain, she was surprised at the grazing gentleness of his mouth, the cool softness of his lips even while his tongue was rough. Suddenly, she could feel the beating of her heart as separate from the rest of her body, pushing and pulling the blood through her veins. A feeling like being plunged in deep water, like drowning, came over her from the head downwards.

She felt a shock flash through her body, felt in herself an alien desire. There was something that she wanted which she could not name, something she had never tasted which she craved; she knew it would be thick, that it would be sweetness. More than that, she found herself desiring…she did not know what – or rather, she knew, but the knowledge was inconceivable. This was – Sesshomaru!

She realized then that there was no anger in Sesshomaru's red eyes, no wrath, but still fire. She recognized his lust even as she didn't understand it - she _knew_ it, felt it in the softness of his lips against her palm. She could feel his hand creeping around her waist, pulling her closer, his claws pricking gently against her skin through her cotton shirt, and though she knew that she should pull away, she was still; she did not even move her wounded hand, though he had freed it.

Her thoughts were jumbled and flighty, each one spinning on its own axis. Her body was betraying her, pressing against Sesshomaru as much as he pulled her in. Her head hung back, a smooth curve of throat that flowed up to darting eyes behind three-quarter lashes and down to heaving breasts. She felt the strangest urge come over her, to give in, to move forward and not back; but with the urge came fear, terror, an overwhelming confusion.

_What is **wrong** with me?_

In response to her terror, there was an explosion of light. If Sesshomaru had not been so consumed by her, he would have noticed the glow that touched the corners of her eyes, but instead his only warning was the lash of violet light that threw him away from her. Across the clearing, he fell splayed onto his back and crushed a patch of flowers. Shaking the red out of his eyes, he stood and stared at her through the fall of his hair. Petals dropped from the falling folds of his robe; the scent of her blood was still drawing him, but his gaze was caught on the shades of darkness in her face.

Sesshomaru growled, and nearly approached her again, but as the light grew and then faded, the opening in Kagome's skin closed. Surprised, she stared at the wound until it was gone; it took only a moment. As the scent of her blood lost its freshness the irresistible instinct that had broken Sesshomaru's vaunted control receded, and he took a step backwards.

His mind was in turmoil, his blood still raging though he managed to keep the uncertainty, the confusion, from his face. Somehow, the miko's blood had reached down and pulled out the Inu, its most potent desires…and yet he had not been destroyed by the power in her when her blood passed his lips - or by the blast that had hit him.

_I…even I, taken unawares, should have been purified. What is going on?_

He eyed her, half-suspicious, but he could not make himself believe that it had been her intent to evoke such a reaction from him. He stared hard at her, saw her trembling slightly, and scented the fading remnants of her blood, her fear, and her…arousal? on the departing breeze. He thrust that last scent from his thoughts at once, ignoring the clamor of the Inu in its desire to learn how _that _scent would taste, ignoring the terrible attractiveness of it. He nearly scowled, and then held himself back. He had an unpleasant duty, now.

"I must ask…your forgiveness. There is no excuse for my action."

Much to his surprise, she did not yell, or scream, or beg; she didn't even back away, but only returned his nod – if somewhat shakily - and attempted to smile for him.

"I never expected Sesshomaru-sama to apologize to a human."

He gazed at her sharply, and narrowed his eyes at her half-mocking words. The fear that had touched her had apparently disappeared as quickly as it had come. He did not understand; how did she dare, how did she do it? What _was _she?

She was still smiling. Sesshomaru turned his back to her, and only then did he answer.

"I have my honor, woman. Appreciate my indulgence, or I will remove it. Come, now - and perhaps it would be best if you took care that your blood was not shed."

She stared at him thoughtfully.

_So, I am _woman _again, huh? But - my blood…_

Quite suddenly, she looked at the ground, a faint blush coloring her cheeks, and for the first time in a very long time, Sesshomaru was..._amused_.

* * *

For the rest of the night they stayed in the small grove where Sesshomaru had come upon her, Kagome in her sleeping bag near the fire, he sitting cross-legged across from her, watching, always watching. The firelight shattered in his eyes as he stared at Kagome's sleeping form, listening to his own question resounding in his head.

_What are you? What are you, woman?_

She said she was a human woman, a miko, and he knew she believed it; she could not have hidden the scent of a lie. Yet he knew that she could not be _only human_, that eventually he would have to solve the mystery in her blood for the sake of his own sanity.

His eyes narrowed in thought. Again, he wondered if it might not be easier just to kill her. Truthfully, no matter where he was hiding it would not be difficult to find Inuyasha. But …

_It is easier, far easier, to follow the woman. And if she can give back to me what he so stupidly took -_

He tried to keep his thoughts cold, dull, empty. The memory of the taste of her was strong in him, her scent calling to him even now, closed in her veins…he stood and walked outside the limit of the firelight, claws clenched so tightly that he pierced his hand.

He did not feel it, didn't notice the pain, so intent was he on gaining control of his own soul. In all his life, nothing had ever affected him so much; he had never allowed it to. But the woman gave him no choice, and made him disgusted with himself for being affected by a human - his brother's woman, no less. No matter what she said, in his mind she would always be his brother's woman; she had to be.

The thought made him…angry. Why would that be? The Inu laughed inside him, betrayed him to himself, but he ignored it, and stared up into the sky.

* * *

It was in the morning that he saw the first spark of the Kagome he had seen with his brother, the first spark of the passion and power that had always been so irritating about this woman.

_Weak, human woman_.

Since the moon had set, he had found himself thinking that, over and over, reminding himself. With this woman, it seemed, he could not trust his senses. However….

"I will not do it, Sesshomaru! I will not _float_ to Inuyasha."

"Fly, woman."

His eyes angled down at her; he blinked once, almost lazily, and then the cold glitter returned to his stare.

"You should refer to me with the proper respect."

Somewhere overnight, or perhaps earlier, she had lost the honorific that had so surprised him in the first place. Flames kindled in her eyes at his words.

"And you - you should refer to _me_ with the proper respect!"

He paused; she was quite correct in this, and he had no desire to admit it. Frankly, she amused him. If he chose to fly off with her, she would be forced to accompany him….or die in a fall from a height she probably wouldn't like to imagine.

"It does not matter to me - Kagome. If you insist on walking -"

"I…understand - Sesshomaru-sama."

He heard her inflection, the heavy weight she put on his name, and heard surprise in it. She had not known that he was aware of her name - and even if he was, to actually use it?

_He called me…by name._

* * *

A/N: And so, I present to you, chapter one of the original Bloodlust, which Bloodlust: Purity is the sequel to. This was written years ago, and I'm finally biting the bullet and revising it. Reviews, as always, are more than welcome and extremely appreciated! Also - it has come to my attention that quite a while ago someone else started posting some of my writing on here, this fanfiction specifically. Until I manage to get the copies removed (and I'm trying, believe me) please **make sure** you read THIS version; not only is it in my name, so I'll be able to respond to reviews, but this is the NEW REVISED VERSION, which I am working on as I type this.

(Actually, now this is the revised revised version...but yeah. Final, everyone! Final! (as in, no more revisions needed!) Much thanks to all those who review; please R&R!


	2. II: The Ragged Edge

II.

The Ragged Edge

* * *

Mid-day passed, the afternoon rolled over them, and the sun that had dazzled through the morning's preening leaves was no caress any longer

Memory of the last night's bloody _incident_ had remained so strongly in Kagome's memory that she risked Sesshomaru's ire by moving more slowly than she needed to where the ground was rough or the foliage thorny, avoiding even a splinter's worth of risk. If Sesshomaru noticed, he did not complain. Then again, he had actually apologized to her...and it was obvious that he had no more desire to continue down that path than she did.

Gradually the sun began to lean into the west, filling the sky with a dull red radiance, diminishing the heat of its presence. They had walked all day, since the earliest dawn, but she refused to complain about her aching legs, or the burning sun, or her hunger. It had, after all, been _her_ choice that had set them on this path.

Kagome lifted her hair from the back of her neck gratefully, feeling a cool breeze waft over the plain and tingle on her sweat-damp face, chilling her skin. It carried the scent of heat, a tingle of oily minerals. Near sunset, steam became visible over the cooling distance, rippling in the air with the heaviness usual of a hot-water spring. She slowed and stopped, leaning to stretch tightness from her back where the weight of her bag had dug deep.

Sesshomaru heard her footsteps pause and looked back over his shoulder. He saw her standing on the flat plain before the horizon, a black outline drawn with shadows against the red destiny of the sun. When she stood straight again, she was caressed with fire. Gradually she was reduced again to human stature as she walked toward him and the light ran down into the earth; still he stared at the nimbus of sunset shimmering around her hair, until she was standing in front of him, staring up into his eyes.

"Is everything alright, Sesshomaru-sama?"

He stared at her impassively, his face a blank mask. He was _not _alright, nothing was alright – but he could not say that.

"Humans require sleep and food every day, do they not? I have learned of this from my ward."

He blinked solemnly, and Kagome almost laughed at his gravity, the solemnity of his voice.

"Yes, we do need food and sleep, but isn't that something humans have in common with youkai?"

"Youkai eat, but of different nature usually than human food. And we do not require as much sleep."

Kagome nodded, waiting. There had to be a reason he was speaking to her - staring at her. He was, indeed, staring. Looking at her this close, the signs of weariness were obvious, threads of tiredness straining across her face no matter how she tried to hide them. Twitching lines in the flow of her muscles showed where fatigue had laid itself, and then, with horror, he realized what he was doing and turned away from her with as much disdain as he could force into a simple movement.

Perhaps he was more skilled at this than he knew. The edges of his vision showed a lapse of pain in the grieving starkness of her face, and a moment of sympathy tapped with light knuckles on the aloof shell that held his tender feelings. The moment passed quickly, but it had given him an excuse for his silence and confusion.

"You are fatigued."

Very low, she laughed.

"Yes. I am tired. I'm sorry - you must forgive my human weakness, Sesshomaru-sama."

He found suddenly that he could not look at her face. The night-lashed stars that peered at him from inside her eyes were bad enough. His own words thrown back at him in mocking tones were more than he could stand. If he did _not _kill her, than what could he do?

The sky called him. The risen full of the moon, bright and transfixing, awakened the deep song of the night. He found himself suddenly longing for the taste of blood, any blood that could make him forget _hers_. The pulse-drum that pushed temptation through her veins was calling to him, and the pulse-drum of his own veins was calling louder still. She spoke to him, and he could barely hear her over the inner roar.

"I think there's a hot spring nearby, Sesshomaru-sama; do you mind if I bathe?"

He blinked, forced himself to focus.

"I do not care what you do as long as you live long enough to lead me to my brother."

He was purposefully cruel; it made him feel more like himself again. Kagome flinched slightly at the coldness in his words, turned toward the steam rising visibly from the plain. Suddenly regretting his words and their unnecessary harshness, Sesshomaru called after her.

"While you bathe, I will hunt."

She paused to acknowledge his words, but he did not notice; he had already sped away, deep into the trees.

* * *

Kagome came within sight of the bubbling water, and slipped out of her clothes and into the hot caress with a small sigh of content. She lay back in the water for a few minutes, letting the heat soak the tension out of her back and legs, before she washed and rinsed her hair, and climbed out to get her clothes and wash them as well. There was a tingle that disturbed her, and she frowned - but by the time she felt the approaching youkai, and recognized it for what it was, it was too late.

An enormous bear-demon towered in front of her, eyes flashing red and hair matted with the blood of old kills. Her scream was sharp and piercing, as the bear reached for the jewel around her neck, growling its desire for the shikon and its power. Her hand flew up, tightened around the gem, and a name fled her lips without thinking, not the name she was used to calling but a new one, darker, stronger, louder.

"Sesshomaru!"

Tongue lolling, claws reaching, the bear approached.

* * *

Sesshomaru was Hunting. More than protecting his lands or chasing after his brother, he enjoyed the hunt, though it be after dumb beasts. The way his blood thrilled in his veins to the chase, the way his claws dug deep into animal flesh and spurted thick blood to his lips. He needed the chase to forget about the woman, needed the taste of other blood to forget the taste of Kagome's. His encounter with her had shaken him more than he was willing to admit even to himself; he could sense her blood calling to him still, even closed in her veins.

As he moved swift and silent through the trees, he caught the scent of bear, but dismissed it when he sensed the youkai in the scent - and then froze as a piercing scream, his name, reached his sensitive ears.

_Kagome._

He followed the scent of youkai-bear, the sound of that scream, as fast as he was able, avoiding trees with lightening reflexes. He did not question _why _he ran; he smelled her blood, the same scent as before, but now it enticed him to rage, clouded his senses with a mist of desire to rend, to destroy.

_Dokkasou_ rose in his veins, poured out into his claws. The poison melted flesh, shredded through the demon's thick hide before it even knew he was coming. He stood panting, blood and poison dripping from his claws, and then turned to stare with red-glazed eyes at Kagome.

She glistened unconscious with water and blood, naked and sprawled on the rocks beside the hot spring where she had bathed. Sesshomaru dropped gracefully to his knees beside her still form, and sniffed her body, searching for wounds. The Inu still had hold of his flesh, of his consciousness; the instinct that had risen to the surface demanding her blood was equally demanding now that her blood had been spilled by another.

He found claw marks across her breasts, and down her side, not deep enough to kill but more than enough to be very painful. From the way the injuries were placed, it looked like she had offered her body to the youkai so as to protect the jewel, which still glowed gently around her blood-spattered neck.

_Foolish woman. She has survived _months_ without my brother? How?_

The thought was strong in him that twice in two days she had been in mortal danger; except that she did not seem to consider him dangerous. Still, no thoughts could distract him for long. The part of his mind that was still his own fought with the Inu, and then committed treason. The wounds needed to be cleaned…but the Inu desired only the taste of her blood again, the blood from this human girl who tasted like a queen of demons.

Slowly, so as not to cause her more pain, he ran his tongue along her neck, lapping at the droplets of blood that had flown upward from the wounds across her breasts. The scent stirred his lust, and he drew his tongue over each of the gashes, not drawing more blood from the wounds, but savoring the taste of what had already spilled. His fingers, his claws, were carving strange shapes into the rocks at her side as they tightened and released; he felt drugged, drunk.

Kagome stirred slightly at the first brush of his tongue across her breasts, and blinked her eyes slowly, aware of pain but separate from it, lost in separate twinges that assaulted her nerves from something that was gentle and rough, moisture that left shivers across her skin. It was when she looked down and saw Sesshomaru bending across her naked body that she tried to scramble away, but the pain and the look in his eyes kept her still, listening to the growls that escaped his lips. She felt his claws pressing lightly against her skin, and breathed a sigh of relief when the slow motion of his tongue across her breasts ceased - and then she felt him again, that long, sensuous motion against the wounds in her side.

Fully awake now, she shuddered in guilty pleasure, knowing he would regret what he had done, unable to stop him even if she had wanted to try. There was a gathering, tightening heat in her belly, and her breath came in soft, uneven pants. She knew what was happening, though she could not think of why. A thought came over her that she knew she had had before:

_What is __**wrong **__with me?_

He was touching her, but he had not really _touched_ her; even so, her entire body was flushed and hot, so hot. Sesshomaru sensed dimly through a haze of foggy sensations what was happening. The scent of her arousal was thicker, more intoxicating than the scent of her blood. Through the white-noise rush in his head he heard the soft panting of her breath, a moan -

With a swift, decisive thrust he pushed the Inu down, down, deep into his soul, and stared at the woman in front of him with hot golden eyes, finally free of red. Slowly, unsure of his control, he backed away from her, and only then, finally, noticed a strangeness that he could identify. Her eyes were touched with demon-red; she blinked at him, showing that color, impossible but true, and then seemed to drift back into uneasy unconsciousness. He was frozen in stillness; the taste of her was still thick in his mouth, cloying, hard to ignore.

_Who is she? What is she? Why does she arouse this...hunger in me? I have tasted youkai blood before, many powerful females, but none of them have ever called to me like she does._

He could not find an answer for his own thoughts, and growled in disgust with his own actions. Carefully, he opened the enormous yellow bag that the woman carried around, poking through unfamiliar articles for bandages. They were of a material that was unfamiliar to him, but he wrapped them around her wounds, careful to avoid breathing the scent of her too deeply, and bent to look in her eyes. What he saw almost made him laugh.

Once again, it was impossible - but Kagome was asleep. He spent a thoughtful moment looking down at her, and then carried her gently to where they had planned to make camp, and lay her on her sleeping bag.

For a while, he sat watching her, wondering if she would wake; too quickly, it became difficult to stay seated, just watching, and when he found himself edging closer, leaning toward her, he stood and edged away from her, his thoughts divided. She had already proven to him that she could not be left alone; but more than ever, he desired the hunt that had been interrupted. For another hour, he waited - finally, it was too much and he knew it was one or the other - the hunt, or Kagome.

* * *

Kagome awoke in the middle of the next afternoon, and remembered the day before in a flash, first fear, then embarrassment coloring her scent to the youkai who stood nearby, tending the fire. She felt the bandages across her breasts and side, tied somewhat clumsily, and knew Sesshomaru had done it for her, though she could not imagine why.

If he had not hated her utterly before, he must hate her now - after she had caused so much trouble, after she had exposed him again to the scent of her blood. But she could not help feeling a tingle of warmth when she remembered the feeling of his tongue, the red flash of his desire -

No one had ever desired her before.

"Kagome."

Sesshomaru's voice was clear and calm, but she started guiltily, sure he knew what she had been thinking. When she looked up, he was holding out a plate for her, one of the ones she carried in her bag. It was piled high with neatly cut slices of some sort of meat, and she breathed the good, hot smell gratefully. She had been hungry when she had gone to take her bath; she was starving now.

"I…thank you, Sesshomaru-sama. I - apologize, for…yesterday."

She got the words out without choking on them, trying not to think, but he sat down across from her and managed to shock her utterly.

"I was not aware you had asked the youkai to attack you."

"No! I - "

She winced, and put one hand on the ground, leaned back. Talking with any sort of force was incredibly painful; she lay a hand on her chest and felt heat through the bandages, then shook her head.

"I should have remembered that the shikon no tama attracts youkai after power, and been more careful."

His eyes were difficult to focus on with the firelight between them, but he said nothing, just continued to watch her. Painfully, she sat up, felt her breathing hitch deep in her body and widened her eyes at the rough sensation.

Slowly, she began to eat; when she was finished, she lay back with a sigh, not talking, not moving, just staring at the slow-burning fire.

Sesshomaru sat still himself, peering at her through eyes closed to slits, considering how best to approach her, how best to broach a subject that he could not believe he was contemplating. She said she was a woman, and it was not a lie; equally, he knew, it was not a truth.

_I am beginning to think…I know what you are, Kagome. And I want to know if it is real - what I am thinking. If it is real, what I see in you, then the scent of your blood is the least of your secrets._

Once, long before, he had heard of a great concealment, achieved at the cost of a great power. Looking at her, he could not believe it of her, but if he closed his eyes…if he closed his eyes, the scents took over, and he could believe…anything. There were words in his memory and they pounded deep in his brain, prevented his sleep. They were words in his father's voice, and they brought with them a deep sense of unease.

"…_and the power in the Blood, the breaking of the great Lines, do not forget. Someday, you will have need of this knowledge, my son. Someday…"_

* * *

A/N: As promised, chapter 2! The revising is going easier now that I remember what was going on...heh. More soon; Please Review!

NOTE: As of today, which is...May 27, this is also a Final Version! Woo! So, much thanks to all those who reviewed on the first run through, and here we go again! :D

R&R! (It feeds the evil genius...)


	3. III: Into The Fire

III.

Into The Fire

* * *

Kagome's fists were wrapped tightly around a double handful of Sesshomaru's haori, and her hair had been plastered against her forehead by small droplets of sweat. Sesshomaru looked down at her flushed and fevered face and did not notice the flare of speed that gathered itself into his footsteps.

They had traveled for only six hours, just into the first darkness of the night, when she collapsed - and he was barely by her side in time to keep her head from hitting the ground. He could tell the moment he touched her that her temperature was higher than it should be and once he had noticed this she had seemed to get hotter even as he held her. He had sniffed her over gently, and sensed no trace of sickness. Her wounds had begun to heal well, and were not festering -

It was only then that he noticed; it was the first time he had been this close to her and not consumed by bloodlust. So faint…but so deadly.

_Poison!_

It was for that reason that he was now running back towards the spring where the carcass of the dead youkai lay, as fast as he could travel with Kagome cradled in his arm. He could not believe he had not noticed the venomous smell - but it was difficult for him to tell such things, always. A faint odor of poison always hung about his person; it could not be helped. _Dokkasou_ was worth it, but he had not thought previously that it might be a danger to his companions – at least not in this manner. He barely smiled, the faintest shift of the lips imaginable. Jaken would have run in terror; Kagome might have fallen at his feet…but...she was dreaming.

* * *

_Inuyasha smashed through Naraku's barrier with Tetsusaiga, but could not manage to strike him with the same blow. Naraku smirked and drew back his hand to let a blast of power strike Inuyasha. _

_**My turn**_…_._

_Naraku was far too concentrated on destroying the one he believed was his only opponent, and did not sense Kagome moving up behind him. She drove her arrow right through the skin of his back, into the center of that exposed demon scar, and he instantly whipped around - but by then it was too late. _

_Kagome sent her purifying miko energy through his body, and watched the tainted flesh dissolve in the violet light projected from her arrow, her clenched fists. Where Naraku had been standing there was now only dust. A flash of pink radiance exploded outwards, leaving in its wake the completed shikon no tama, descending gently to rest in her cupped hands. _

_**No - no - **_

_She turned, a bright smile on her face. It flickered when she turned to see Inuyasha standing beside Kikyou. It faded completely when she saw the cold smile on the un-woman's face – there was a confident, heart-wrenching coldness in that smile._

_"Inu…Inuyasha?"_

_**No!**_

_She was afraid of his smile, his silence, but it would have been better for her if he had kept it. The words that came out of his mouth twisted her heart._

_"Give me the jewel, Kagome. You promised it to me."_

_"Are you going to wish to be full demon, Inuyasha? Please don't…you won't be yourself anymore, won't be the hanyou that I…that I love."_

_**Don't say it. Don't say it! **_

_Inuyasha's smile spread, grew wider and more cruel._

_"You just never got it, Kagome. I love Kikyou…then and now. You are just a flawed copy…and with that jewel, I will wish for her soul to be returned to her, and she will live...and the copy will go away."_

_Kagome was too shocked even for tears, and she backed slowly away from him. He cleared the increasing distance between them with a leap, holding out his hand. It was then, when he looked up at her, that she saw his discolored demon eyes; a flash of red coupled with a strange, reaching tenderness – and then darkness, complete and total and as he spoke deadly words._

_**Not again! Not - **_

_"I don't care if you live or die, bitch-"_

In the dream, Kagome fell back from those dark stranger-eyes, and awoke suddenly and screaming.

Instead of darkness, the eyes that peered down at her as she blinked herself away from the terror were glowing gold.

"Too loud, Kagome. Do not move."

She knew immediately who it was; no one else had a voice or presence like Sesshomaru's. She was also immediately aware that he was _carrying _her; his fingers were uncomfortably close to a very intimate place. She almost demanded that he put her down, but the deep breath she took in preparation for the words made her think twice. There was pain like fire in her lungs, a sudden, terrible pulse in her temple. Agony spread down her side and across her chest, a thousand times worse than it had been when she awoke that morning. The fire spread from her breathing outwards, claiming her muscles with a spasm, and she gasped, pressing her head against Sesshomaru's chest.

He looked down at her again and she heard – or did she imagine? - concern in his voice.

"You have been poisoned, Kagome. The wounds have not festered; I cannot think of anything else that might cause your ailment."

Between bursts of pain, her brain was puzzling over his apparent worry, but then – why wouldn't he be worried? She was probably his only chance at finding - a miko - to restore -

She tried to calm her breathing, but it came faster despite her efforts, in short sharp gasps. Sesshomaru felt tears hot against his skin through the silk of his haori. His brow furrowed, somewhere between concern and concentration, and he pressed his thumb gently against a point on her neck and watched as she fell at once into deep unconsciousness.

_It will keep her from -_

He shook his head, as if that could rid him of the errant thought, and growled at himself.

_No. It's just better than having her tears on me_.

He was disturbed. He was not used to this…feeling, this uncertainty concerning his own motives. Something was speaking louder than logic, and he shifted Kagome so she lay more comfortably against his chest. When he reached the hot spring minutes later, he lay her gently on the ground, and nearly flinched at her pained moan.

The Inu was hot and flowing in his veins as the stench of the beast he had slaughtered reached his nose. The sight of the dead Bear youkai brought a growl close to the surface – and then that growl overflowed, as he lifted a limp, cold paw and smelled the old scent of Kagome's blood.

He ripped one of the claws out, and watched with a grim satisfaction as a viscous black liquid dripped to the ground and vanished with a hiss. The claw cracked and then broke as his fist tightened; the pieces dropped to the ground, unrecognizable.

_I knew I should have torn it to pieces. I will - I will - _

He stood still for a moment, his eyes faintly red, as his body tried to do things he had no time for now. With slow movements, careful this time, he pulled free another of the dead youkai's claws and wrapped it in a fragment of cloth.

With the wind in front of him, he set off once more - this time for his fortress, the place where he maintained his treasures and the memory of his father's honor, the glory of his House. It was deep in the Western lands, deep in youkai territory; she was a human woman, a miko. He was setting himself up for something terrible, and knew it, but what else could he do?

He no longer thought of killing her.

* * *

A hundred times faster than he had been leaving, Sesshomaru flew back through trees, past villages and over a mountain, down through his own territory faster than he had ever done. No one knew what had passed by. Those sensitive enough to sense the strength of his presence muttered _"kaze-kami!"_, and went back to their business; by the time they had finished the thought, he was a score of miles away.

The Gate of his father's fortress opened in front of him and he did not slow down; he raced across the courtyards, dark in the afternoon shadow, and up the wide shallow stairs that led into the main hall. Without pausing, Sesshomaru crashed through the door, and gathered behind him a silent, invisible knot of followers who crowded around his footsteps. There had never been other servants; he needed nothing more than what these unseen hands provided.

No longer really running, still quick-footed, he climbed the curving staircase and sped smoothly down a long hallway. The door opened for him when he stopped in front of his own room; carefully, aware of every shift, every sigh, he lay Kagome down.

She did not wake up and he did not know if that was good…or very, very bad.

"Heal her! Youkai attacked her. The wounds I tried to heal..."

He paused, sucked in a sharp breath. Even these servants, invisible, insensible, voiceless, should not know what he had done for the miko.

"But...she burns.

His fingers touched her forehead, her cheek, paused in her hair.

"She burns."

As though he had truly been burned, he jerked his hand away; he remembered the claw that he had brought with him then, and tossed it on his bed. Immediately, it was grabbed up, unwrapped, examined.

Sesshomaru strode toward the door. He paused as he grasped the handle, irresolute. Behind him, Kagome was lifted and turned in fingers that knew their task well, though he could not see them. The door opened, startled out of his grasp, and drifted toward closing. Before it had a chance, it was pushed open again.

Some dark liquid that dripped over her lips was poured down Kagome's throat – almost instantly, the deep crimson flush began to fade from her skin, and Sesshomaru saw that she breathed easier.

Now that the first danger had passed, there was a moment for the courtesies of things. Her hair was pulled back away from her face, and a steaming cloth began to wipe away dried blood. Minutes passed. Sesshomaru watched Kagome's face with the intensity of a hunter stalking its prey, and counted the measure of her breathing, listened for the murmur of her pulse. The attentive hands moved away; the door opened again.

"Bring furs and make a place for her."

Sesshomaru spoke over his shoulder; there was a pause of a moment, a silence, and then the quiet click of the door. He turned back, listened to Kagome breathing lowly, and then leapt away from the bedside, paced the length of the other side of the room.

His thoughts moved furiously, darting like knives into his own assumptions, his own pretensions, but it was not doing any good. Twice, he moved towards her, and twice restrained himself. He felt brightened by a vivid touch of anger, but it was not anger at _her_ -

He could not understand the movement of this compulsion, how his body could move without recourse to his thoughts. The fact that she was even here, in this place –

_And in my own bed! Why, out of a hundred rooms – my own!_

"Why, Kagome? Tell me why I brought you here!"

Her lips parted, as if teasing him with the thought of an answer. Her breath poured out heavily, and then quieted again.

"Why, why did I bring you here?"

He spoke to the woman, who did not stir, to the flickering torches, to the silence that preceded his words, and followed them. Into that silence came the opening of the door, and piles of furs. With efficient haste, they were arranged into a soft, well-warmed pallet. The door closed again, and he thought sharply, humorlessly, that at least now, she would not be in his bed.

Red heat betrayed him, rushed through his veins claw to toe, the Inu making a mockery of his self-controlled thoughts. Was it that simple? She called to his blood, and his blood wanted her?

_Never!_

To mate with a human was to give birth to disaster. He was not his father. He would not sire children only to have to seek them out and destroy them.

"And you, Kagome – what are your thoughts?"

There was not even a rustle from her furs. With eyes that glowed at her through the darkness, he watched her, waiting silently for something that would tell of her life or death.

To poison a miko it must be virulent poison, but youkai poison was meant to be strong enough to kill their own kind. One so powerful had not dared to cross the scent barrier into the heart of his territory in more than a hundred seasons; and _powerful…_against him, victory was only ever a dream, not a possibility.

The draw of the shikon no tama, it seemed, was greater than all other concerns; even him. She carried a dangerous trinket - it had been hundreds of years since power had roamed free on such a scale. What did that mean?

A burst of thunder called his eyes towards the window. Clouds were shifting in the sky; darkening, thickening. It had rained on them even as he ran. Now, thinking back, he supposed that it had not helped her to be rained upon, but there was no moving shelter and for her, to stop would have been to die.

He allowed himself, in the privacy of his own thoughts, to touch on the recollection of that most desperate moment. With the fading rustle of her breath clinging to his ears, drawing on what seemed to be his very _soul_, he had done what no youkai should ever do – not even one of his stature and power, _especially_ not one of his stature and power. He had shared his blood with her, the vital essence of his strength; he had broken taboo in the deepest way possible, had given to her, like a sacrifice, the outpouring of his own life.

Though the blood of a demon lord had the power to heal almost any wounded, the side effects of such a gift were unruly and often violent; it was why such _help_ was not meant to be offered, why such power was not often shared, even among kin – and _never _with humans.

But in the face of her suffering, staring at the possibility of her death, he had been weak. Why this would be, he could not imagine, but she was soft and fragile and it was not easy to remember that she held great powers captive in her blood. During his long run in the dark rain, surrounded by black smells and red smells, he had become concerned only with the pace of his feet against the ground, with the pale sound of breath from the woman cradled in his arm. Nothing else, no taboo, no possibility of future violence, could make its way into his mind.

She had charged his blood with this strange desire, this _instinct_, and now his thoughts pulled on her, basking in questions. His intentions were changing, even while the night passed slowly by him. Inuyasha would have to be found and dealt with, but for now…could he not be content with his miko, and dissolve the mystery of her scent?

The moon was bright through the curtains as the rains paused and clouds drew away from the sky, but all he cared to see was that the pink and ivory tones were returning to Kagome's skin.

"You have decided to live, Kagome? That is good. But what am I going to do with you?"

She moved restlessly, her fingers grasping at the empty air. Before he knew it, he had taken a step, and then another. Her fingers latched onto his sleeve, and then she sank into a deeper sleep. He took a deep breath. What was _this_? Was it - not only him, but her, too, affected by...whatever it was? How could it be? _A human_. He stood still, unwilling to break the fragile connection between them, and then sat slowly at the edge of her pallet, carefully so as not to alert her. Unblinking, he watched her stillness and her breathing through the balance of the night, until the morning came and the bright sun broke apart the shadows on her face.

In the new light, he asked a question of the attentive silence that was changing Kagome's bandages; the wounds looked worse now, but smelled better. There was no poison scent in the room but his own, and he did not understand. Why was she still sleeping?

"How long will she be like this?"

He watched the shadows moving on the wall, making shapes he could interpret. His eyes barely widened, and then narrowed.

"Twenty days? _More_? That is too long - too long!"

_I will go mad before then._

* * *

When Kagome finally awoke, the fiery pain that was her last memory had mostly subsided, though it was still difficult to move. She could not identify where she was, and thought that perhaps it had all been a dream - until she saw Sesshomaru, sprawled across a bed that was across the room from where she lay.

Carefully, slowly, she sat up, and piled her pillows behind her so she could lean back on them. Sesshomaru awoke at the noise, and looked over at Kagome, noting the expression of pain on her face, but also the absence of fever. She took a deep breath, and only winced a little; her hand lay lightly, experimentally, on her chest.

"Is the pain gone?"

Kagome looked up quickly at the sound of Sesshomaru's voice, and then felt gingerly around her fresh bandages. She noted a significant lack of wounds and paused to wonder momentarily how that was possible before she succumbed to her urge to stretch.

"I think - oh - oh - _ow!_"

Swiftly her arms came back down, and she cradled her side for a moment. She had felt something beginning to tear - not a deep feeling, and that was good, but she had no desire to lengthen her healing time.

"Kagome?"

She was still trying to get used to the idea of Sesshomaru's voice, Sesshomaru's presence; he seemed surprisingly at ease, but as she carefully checked the bandages, pressing gently here and there, the one place she felt pain she also noticed a slowly widening spot of blood. Her eyes widened, thoughts flashing through her head that gave her an inexplicable tingle.

"I have pain, but it's bearable. I think the bandages should be changed, though."

He detected both the change in her scent and the change in her manner, and spoke stiffly, trying not to breathe deeply, forcing even the slightest hint of warmth out of his tone.

"They do not need to be changed for several hours, Kagome. They have been changed…regularly. I arranged for this when the poison was neutralized."

"Sesshomaru-sama, I mean no disrespect, but - the blood - "

Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, and his eyes narrowed. He had almost forgotten that she would know - he had dared to hope that she might…forget.

"You do not need to be afraid of me. I have been near you enough now to have gained control of myself."

"Enough…now?"

He paused. She did not know how long she had been asleep, how long she had moved in and out of feverish dreams…and perhaps it would not be wise to tell her _now_. Now, perhaps it would be wise to do what she said…because that scent, that scent was -

When he looked up at her again, and nodded, his eyes were streaked with red, but Kagome saw with relief that they were mostly clear. He motioned for her to sit up, and proceeded to unwrap the bandage that covered her breasts. She flushed brilliantly and stared at a spot on the wall over his head; there was no reason for her modesty, nothing he hadn't already seen, but she couldn't help her embarrassment. His breath was warm; she could feel it on her skin as he bent forward, and then the roughness of clean linen. He had some trouble trying to tie it off, but Kagome noticed his difficulty with the one handed knot and placed her hands over his to tie it herself.

From where their hands touched, a violent spark shot up Sesshomaru's spine, and he growled softly; the red that had misted his eyes took over as he clutched Kagome's hands in his. The same shock flushed through Kagome's body, raced from the point of contact up into all her nerves. She felt her flush deepening, heating her skin, felt desire that she could not suppress or trace.

Sesshomaru looked into her eyes and saw the blood-streaked gaze of a demoness controlled by heat. He growled softly, heard her answering growl, thick with desire. His fingers let the bandages drop; gently, he ran his claws over the unmarred flesh beneath her wounds, and down her thigh; he bent and drew his tongue over the wounds themselves, the faint, silver-pink scars, the trickle of red where she had torn the fragile new flesh.

Kagome felt pure lust rolling through her body, rising up to where his tongue and claws touched her. She undulated gently, parted her thighs. She shocked herself with her growl, a growl that matched Sesshomaru's in depth and hunger. She could feel every beat of her heart, her pulse pounding behind her eyes. She groaned out loud when his tongue followed the path of his claws, and looked down at him, unaware of the red in her eyes. Her mind was still her own, possessed of reason she refused to use, full of questions without answers - but she still could not make her body obey. Sesshomaru caught her eyes with his, pulled the breath from her body with the sheer power of his gaze, not red now but the brilliant amber that made her pulse beat faster.

Sesshomaru pulled away to wrap the new bandages around her a second time, his breathing shallow now, but Kagome reached blindly for him when he pulled away, out of control, not possessed of the same well of rational calm. She _needed _him, needed sensation...but after a moment the feeling passed, and she drew in a deep breath, felt an embarrassed flush spreading under her skin.

"Why - why - did you do that - Sesshomaru?"

Her voice was husky and deep, panting; her eyes had not yet lost their demon color, and her stare sent pleasant ripples through his body. He considered for a moment; his voice emerged in the barest growl, stunning them both.

"I _wanted_ to."

It was the truth, but it confused her more than any falsehood possibly could have. Confusion returned her eyes to their normal coloring, and suddenly she couldn't speak. He stayed very still for a long minute, watching her, and then he stood and walked away. At the door, he turned and spoke over his shoulder at her; it was then that she realized he was bare-chested, only half dressed – and for whatever reason, _that_ made her flush more than everything that had come before.

"Dress, Kagome, and then you and I must speak."

* * *

A/N: Since I made you wait, slightly longer chapter - chapter four almost done, and on its way shortly...Please Review!

Woo! On a roll! 5/28, Final Revisions...complete! R you know you want to! :D


	4. IV: Bonds of Blood

IV.

Bonds of Blood

* * *

As Sesshomaru stalked out of the room, Kagome was left nodding blankly; after a moment, she stumbled as carefully as she could out of the bed, wobbled dangerously, and began looking for her own clothes. It was too much to hope for; she could not find her bag, only the clothes she had been wearing, and they were carefully folded - but though washed, stained and torn far beyond hope of mending. Carefully, she wrapped one of the furs from her pallet around her body, and, peering over her shoulder and hoping not to get in trouble, she opened the wardrobe that stood across from her makeshift bed.

The door popped open behind her just at that moment, and she let the wardrobe slam shut. It banged loudly, and she winced at the sound and took a step back, but no one was there. It looked as if the door had drifted open by itself, until she saw it close - and she knew, even though she could see no one, that there was _someone _standing in the room with her. The sensation of knowing this was imprinted in the same way that she had once been able to find shikon shards; she hadn't expected to feel something like that ever again.

The _someone_ stopped just in front of her. Kagome reached out a hand, slowly, carefully; she felt, not something, but also not nothing. It was as if an invisible force prevented her hand from contacting whatever, or whoever, stood in front of her.

"I - ah - hello?"

There was a feeling of laughter, not sound but something that impressed itself on her deeper senses, and she relaxed just a little.

"I didn't mean to pry, it's just that I was looking for clothes. Mine are…destroyed, mostly."

She felt it again - laughter, and then the door to the wardrobe was opened and the contents lay exposed before her eyes. She was staring at row upon row of beautifully made silk robes, each one carefully folded. For a moment, she felt that strange, invisible pressure against her skin, and then, quite distinctly, fingers. They pulled her right up to the edge of the open wardrobe and pressed her fingers against a bright blue silk. Kagome's eyes widened.

"These aren't - this can't be - for _me_?"

Her voice had faded to an astonished whisper. Emphatically, her fingers were pressed down against the robe, until her palm was flat and she could feel a whole, invisible hand against the back of her own hand. Kagome's mouth opened; she blinked, and almost asked who had done such a thing – but she knew without asking.

_Sesshomaru!_

"He - why would he do this?"

Again, the laughter.

Carefully, almost afraid to touch them, Kagome ran her hand along the edge of one robe and then took a deep breath.

_Pick, Kagome. It's not too hard, just a hundred million yen's worth of kimono...from Sesshomaru._

"_I _wanted _to_." She heard the words in her thoughts, and shivered, turned her attention away from them and back to the wardrobe. She was finding this more difficult to understand the more she thought about it; how had there even been time? Her eye lit on one robe that shimmered, dark and bloody red, embroidered in silver and gold. It was tugged out of place and displayed for her eyes; vines wound up from hem to neckline and down one sleeve, then burst into golden blooms that dropped petals over an Inu-youkai in transformed shape. The eyes of the Inu, like the flowers, were brilliant gold.

Immediately, she knew it was the right one - but _why_ had he done this? He could much more easily have provided her with a single robe of coarse cotton than this...this..._splendor_; she could not think of a single advantage this provided for him. Finally, she shrugged.

_Like there's any point in wondering. He'll tell me what he wants to, and asking questions probably won't help. I should just be grateful._

"That one – that is the right one, I think."

And then, hesitantly, her voice much lower:

"Please, can you…help me?"

She would not have asked, even with a kimono, if the feeling of laughter had not seemed distinctly feminine. As if in agreement, there was a tug on the fur she had wrapped around her body. Kagome took a breath and let it drop, and then shivered. It was chilly; she had not expected that. Casually, Kagome looked out the window, and she saw that outside the trees were turning color. She swayed, suddenly shocked dizzy.

_How long - how long has it been?_

The hands dressing her were gentle; carefully, they wrapped the robes around her so that her wounds would not be agitated; she thought she understood, now, why they were so close to being healed. The obi was tied rather loose, but she knew that a tighter knot would cause her pain, and left it alone. Quickly, her hair was wrapped and twisted and pinned, half up, half down. In the door of the wardrobe there was a polished mirror, and she turned to look at herself when the hands were done tugging at her hair.

Shocked again, she took a deep breath. She looked - she was…different. It had been more than a year since she had seen her face in any mirror other than a pond or stream; she looked like a lady out of an ancient painting in the clothes that Sesshomaru had provided. Her face looked thinner; in fact, she thought she was thinner all over, and again felt a dizzy tremor.

_Who is that? That - that is me? How long...have I been sleeping here?_

But the someone who had dressed her did not leave her much time to contemplate her reflection. After a moment, the door of the room swung open, and Kagome took a few hesitant steps outside.

She found herself in a long hallway, paneled with glossy wood. The right-side wall was hung with silk tapestries depicting scenes of battle between fearsome youkai. One held her gaze, and she stopped before it; it held the image of a great white Inu-youkai roaring triumph over the body of a Wolf demon of similar size and ferocity.

"That was my father, the Inu-no-Taisho."

Kagome turned around quickly, and found herself looking up at Sesshomaru. He had come up behind her while she was distracted; he was looking at her now with an odd, disconnected expression on his face.

"He fought that Wolf, the Lord of the South, in personal combat - in order to prevent a war between the two lands."

Kagome nodded, and reached out to touch his fingers. His eyes darted downward, stared at the place where she was touching him. She noticed and jerked her hand away, took a deep breath and turned back to the tapestry. Sesshomaru continued to stare at the spot she had touched him. It burned. After a moment he looked up and realized that she was talking; he had missed the beginning of her statement.

"...but everything I've heard about your father makes me think he was noble, wise."

He looked up at that, almost let out a bark of laughter. His father, wise? But then he remembered who she was, and hesitated.

"Yes. He was - in most ways. But you must come with me now, Kagome."

Her eyes studied him in a manner he was not accustomed to; she focused on the straight, expressionless lines of his face, the tightness at the corners of his eyes which she had seen several times now. Purposefully, ignoring the reaction he had already displayed, she reached out and wrapped her small fingers around his larger hand. Her cheeks reddened as she touched him, but she was determined to prove her point.

"Lead, and I'll follow. I...well, I _trust_ you, Sesshomaru."

For once, he did not complain about her lack of an honorific. Instead, he looked down at their joined hands and felt a sudden, inexplicable flush of warmth. This time he did not pull away; he stood utterly still and let the warmth grow, and become heat.

The moment passed. Carefully, with an uncertain tug against her hand, he led her down the hallway and around many twists and turns. The library was his favorite place; he did not share it even with Rin. He waited outside the door for a moment, and nodded when she reached out hesitantly for the handle. He couldn't do it himself; for that, he would have to let go of her hand, and that...he did not want that.

Sesshomaru urged Kagome inside with a casual movement, and did not allow her time to gape. He could see her desire, and it was faintly amusing; there were ten thousand scrolls in this rooms, maybe more, treasures in words both mundane and magical. He saw her eyes wandering, trying to take it all in, and suppressed the urge to smile. As he did so he wondered when it had happened - that such urges had begun to become a common thing.

_While she was sleeping..._

A scowl flickered over his face, but she did not notice.

He led her to a low chair with an armrest, and settled himself across from her. How to begin? Sesshomaru took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt something squeeze his fingers and almost started away, but he realized then that Kagome was still holding his hand.

"I have been thinking for many days -"

"How many days, Sesshomaru-sama?"

Her interruption was soft, but not unexpected. He took a breath, let his eyes flick over her.

"Forty-six days, Kagome."

She forced herself to sit still, breathe calmly. Forty-six days - ! It took a long minute for her to calm her suddenly speeding heart.

"Yes. Forty – forty-six days - I understand. I understand, I think -"

Sesshomaru let out the breath he had been holding. She was taking _this_ much better than he had expected, at least. It would not be an easy thing, losing that many days.

"The poison did harm to your body internally; it took time for that damage to heal. The ones who served me, they treated you, but I don't think even they expected that you would sleep so long."

Kagome took a deep breath and then looked up to meet his eyes.

"Tell me now, Sesshomaru-sama. The thing you brought me here to say."

He eyed her carefully; he could hear her voice in his head, the words so recently uttered. _"I trust you_."

_Do you really, little miko? Do you?_

"Tell you."

He waited. Perhaps, if he made her drag the words out of him, she would hate him less for their meaning.

"Tell me, Sesshomaru-sama. Please - tell me."

Kagome had a deep, burning feeling that whatever he was about to say would change everything utterly; that once he had spoken, she would never be able to go back. To what, or from what, she was not certain - she only knew that she wanted the answer, that not having it was like not being able to breathe. It would tell her why when he looked at her - when he looked at her -

"Please, tell me."

It was barely a whisper. Casually, but with the most careful control he had ever forced over himself, Sesshomaru stood and pulled her across the small space between them. He held up her hand and drew one claw across the flesh of her thumb, just deep enough to draw blood. She let out a shallow gasp at the sting, and then again at the dark and sudden change in his face. Slowly, giving her a chance to move away, he brought the shallow cut to his mouth, and drew his tongue across it.

Kagome bit her lip sharply to keep back a moan, and knew immediately that it had been the wrong thing to do. Sesshomaru's attention was distracted both by the movement and its intent.

He leaned over her, and the moment before it happened she knew what he was going to do. Even knowing, she did not move. His lips were hot and soft; his tongue on her tongue drew heat from the tips of her fingers into her belly. He had finally let go of her hand, but that no longer mattered; his fingers were cool and smooth against her cheek.

Sesshomaru only pulled away when he felt her draw a growling, ragged breath. The red sheen had returned to her eyes, and he backed away slowly, licking his lips, almost shaking. He had not intended to do such a thing – to kiss her!

_Inuyasha's woman!_

Rather than bring on a shudder of revulsion, the thought only angered him – but that was good. He could think more clearly when he was angry. Swiftly, he reached for a mirror that lay on the table and held it up for her to look in, watched the thoughts cross her face as clearly as if she had said them out loud. There was red in her eyes, the red of blood and the red of power that she knew quite well. In silence, her pulse speeding, Kagome stared at her reflection until the crimson color faded from her gaze and felt cold claw its way through her body, followed by raging heat.

_Youkai_.

She had seen eyes like that a hundred, a thousand times.

_Youkai. My - I- I - _

She saw the silent confirmation in Sesshomaru's face, the slightest nod as she looked up and met his eyes.

_Youkai._

"Say it. Say it, say it, say it - "

Sesshomaru stood over her, staring down at her, and felt a sharp white thrill pass through his body. She was whispering, not screaming; he had expected her to scream. Why wasn't she screaming?

"Say it? Now, you know. You know. You are _youkai_, Kagome – not human, never human. You are hiding under that skin, but not for long, not forever - hiding under that skin even though I cannot believe that you are true-bred."

"I - I don't understand - "

_Youkai. _

"I, also, do not understand this - but long ago my father told me many things that are strange, many things that he made sure I would remember. This is power, miko magic, spells of blood, and fire."

"Blood and fire? That isn't possible, I can't -"

Her eyes flickered back to the mirror, hanging in her limp fingers. The color, the taint so close to the surface, had been re-awoken by her nervous fear. Sesshomaru's face was dark, more than serious. He doubted, but she had meant what she said - she trusted him. It was implicit in his nature that he could be trusted, even by an enemy. He carried his sense of honor like a banner.

_I am youkai_.

She took a deep breath and tried to accept, to believe.

"Tell me how, Sesshomaru-sama."

"The only way your demon strengths and senses could be hidden from you is through powerful magic, spells of blood and fire. It is the binding wrought by a mirror; only a demon miko may use these spells, and because such beings are rare, the magic is not well known. In the ancient past, such power was used for concealment, to hide the young from danger; for such protection, however, a great price was required."

She said the first thing that came into her head.

"How...how do you know all this? And why - why does - why do I -"

He knew what she was asking; both questions.

"I am the Record Keeper; it is a task passed down to me from my father's brother, because he died without sons. It is in the history...but the history also records that the last miko-youkai to use such a spell disappeared from her protectors, while traveling through the woods. The half-breed's forest, incidentally, but I do not think it matters. History cannot record everything; you are here, that is what matters."

"And - "

Suddenly he seemed too close to her.

"Miko youkai have never been widely accepted, Kagome. Humans feared their demon nature, their greater power; youkai feared the purifying light that could destroy even the strongest. Still, there were few willing to use this magic. Why give up the glory of being youkai?"

Kagome smiled faintly; the words were perfect Sesshomaru.

_The glory of being youkai. Why, indeed?_

A flicker of a thought pounced on her then, a faint flame of curiosity being blown suddenly brighter by guilty hope.

"Sesshomaru...this power, this...concealment. Is it...permanent?"

He looked at her steadily for a long moment; she did not know that he had debated for half the night over whether or not to tell her the answer to this question.

"All such magics are temporary. The concealment can be removed, the binding power undone. But there is only one way to undo this, only one way...and it can only be achieved by a youkai of greater power than the one bespelled."

Kagome took a deep breath, tried to focus on calming her heartbeat. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, she knew what she wanted to ask; the words didn't even come out as a question, just an exhalation that bore words.

"Oh...you could do it, you could, you could -"

He blinked, surprised that she was not angry, that she believed him, that she had caught on so quickly. He wondered - did she not want to be human?

_But her words..._

"Yes. I could. That is why your blood calls to me, why I cannot resist -"

He froze; he could not believe the words that had almost spilled out of his mouth. She was looking at him, staring at him, and he saw courage being gathered in her face.

"I suppose I should thank you for saving me, before I ask you for anything else - I should not even ask. But I - want to _know_ that it is true. Will you do it, Sesshomaru-sama? Will you...free me?"

His eyes widened, darkened, almost faded into the red. It was the last thing he had expected; he had not realized until this moment that it was what he wanted most in the world. If she was youkai, there was nothing to fear, nothing to concern him. If she was youkai, he could want her – the past be damned.

_If_.

The thought was a warning that overrode his logical sense. He had told her because he was certain, as certain as he could be. Still...

"You do not know - what you are asking."

The words were low, rough.

"You do not know – what I would have to - you do not know what it would _mean_."

She was young, but not completely innocent. She did not _know_, not really, but from his consistent, desirous reaction to her blood, she could guess - and his hesitation, the wild, darting movements of his eyes, the gravel in his voice, made even guessing unnecessary.

"What do _you_ want, Sesshomaru-sama?"

His eyes went wide, suddenly glittering, brilliant gold. For forty-six days, he had watched her, sleeping, and fought the answer to that question. And now -

He reached out to her; his hand fell back.

"I want - to _keep_ you. Kagome - "

It felt like her world was tilting; she wanted him to kiss her again and could not believe what she was wanting - she wanted him to do exactly what she thought he had to do, getting rid of this power, this unbelievable power-

For a moment, _she _was reaching out for _him_.

And then there was a knock at the door, and she heard the voice of a girl.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

* * *

A/N: It is so much fun to be that evil! These revisions are more...revised...than I thought, holy monkeys - but I'm euphoric from getting my first semester grades back, so behold my power! Please Review!

Woo! Earth Science tests 1 and 2, 100! Final Revisions, complete! R&R, pleasey please (and then my happiness will be complete!) :D


	5. V: Enchanted Evening

V.

Enchanted Evening

* * *

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

The sound of a girl's voice shattered Kagome's fragile, unmade thoughts, and sent her leaping backwards into the cushion of her chair. Her face flushed furiously, and she turned her eyes towards the child who had entered the room – if nothing else, it kept her attention focused away from Sesshomaru.

Kagome recognized the girl; she had seen her before, hiding in the shadow of Sesshomaru's footsteps, always quick and quiet, smiling and polite.

_Rin – that's her name. I haven't seen her in a long time...I wonder why._

Rin closed the library door behind her very quietly, but almost immediately there was a great banging, and Rin bowed hurriedly, allowed words to spill out of her lips.

"Sesshomaru-sama, Kinawai-sama has come and brought his mate! They are...in the Hall?"

She had not to stayed to greet their unannounced guests, but Sesshomaru's ears pinpointed them easily, and he nodded to let the girl know she had been correct.

"Yes. Go outside now, Rin. They will be...taken care of."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama."

As quickly, as suddenly as she had appeared, she was gone; with equal speed, Kagome's eyes darted back up to Sesshomaru's face

Kagome was _almost_ saved from whatever Sesshomaru had planned for her by the arrival of those unexpected visitors. She had recognized the banging sound as the opening of enormous doors; now, as they closed, the sound was again audible from within Sesshomaru's library, and the insistent clamor gave her moments of hope.

She was frantic for a moment alone with her thoughts, just a moment, to breathe, to try and understand – but it was not to be.

The moment _after_ hope bruised her mouth with a fiercer kiss than she had ever dreamed of receiving, deeper, darker than the first one. A hot place inside her was yawningly pleased, waking, reaching and simultaneously burrowing further out of sight, burning an emptiness into her blood. Quickly, her lips were torn, and there was no pain where Sesshomaru licked the small stinging wounds, or sucked gently on the drops that threatened to spill.

Liquid undulations of her body moved her, not against her will, but without it, pressed her against hard muscles that were covered by surprisingly warm, soft skin. His haori - where had his haori gone? It didn't matter; to be touched by him was to be electric; the sensation moved the air over her skin with hot wires of desire, prickling downy hairs into stiffness. She was closer to losing her all-important purity that she had ever been before, even in the grips of a love that had actually split her soul.

Now a different fire consumed her with a thousand times more passionate willfulness, and a moaning, growling, snarling noise writhed through her. Every moment that passed, searching for reasons seemed less and less appealing.

Sesshomaru had never believed humans capable of such sounds, and it was that single audible pleading of desire that shocked him away from temptation and back into his own mind. He pulled away from her clinging arms, staggered and passed his hand before his eyes. His tongue darted over his teeth and lips with a mind of its own, searching out every morsel of her that remained, reveling in what was really the most forbidden thing of all - the blood of a miko. But her eyes had regained their red color, darker than before, and she had torn his haori, in the act of pulling it off. As he noticed this he looked down at her, eyes wide, and saw that her breasts were exposed, three layers of rich fabric pulled aside, the obi hopelessly shredded. The mark of his mouth, his teeth, was fresh on her skin, and his hands - his hands were still touching her, still wrapped in the torn fabric.

Her eyes, the sounds she made, the smell of her blood, told him _youkai_, told him to take her - but she was so _human_, so fragile looking, her skin so thin – red trickles were painting her pale flesh where his teeth and claws had broken the surface.

The darker half of him had already raised her on a throne of her own blood, to be ravished and swallowed and drowned in himself.

_No!_

He refused to look back at her, flung open the door and fell out into the hallway, running, running. The taste of her was still thick in his mouth, drawing him, driving him, and he stopped finally with a crunching grasp on the railing encircling a high corridor, where it looked down over the entrance Hall.

His visitor was still standing there, waiting with impatient worries written over his face. Beside him stood another with female scent, features hidden by a hooded cloak. Recognition came almost automatically, coinciding with Rin's assessment – Kinawai, Lord of the North, and his mate, Kasuka. It was said that they were distant cousins, come together to strengthen the family, but Kasuka's exact bloodline had remained as hidden as Kinawai's was prominent. Heir to the Dragon Lords, a Daiyoukai and Lord of Tigers, the secret adaptation of his mother's Dragon forbears had given Kinawai the strengths of both spirits. Kinawai was...unique.

"Sesshomaru-sama, your counsel is needed!"

The Tiger-lord's voice came up at him over the railing, but Sesshomaru spared just one more red-glazed glance for the only one he might have willingly called _friend. _Then he spun away, and darted quickly into the farther reaches of his home. In secret places and dark, behind the allure of common knowledge on more ordinary shelves, he sought the reality of half a memory that might save him from destruction.

He could not feel such things for a human! It was as simple as that. He would not allow it, nor let such defilement linger with him for longer than need be. _It_ had to be true – _true!_ - before he would give in.

He wanted her, all that soft flesh vulnerable to his claws and fangs, bloody and panting. He needed whatever it was she held out before him in those fragile hands, glowing with a violet and blinding light.

His hands pushed aside ancient records, old scrolls, bound parchment, some of them on the edge of turning to dust in his hands. The room was musky and thick with the scent of paper and years, but he did not move, sorting through shelf after shelf, drawer after drawer, his eyes bright gold and glowing through the shadows. His hands were moving as if guided by an unseen force; he did not know what he was looking for but he _knew what he was looking for_. In passing, his eyes caught a line of text - _"...and it was thus that the shikon no tama was created, more precious than all other gems...". _

He let out a breath of contempt and impatience.

That particular fragment was not what he sought, but it sparked thoughts he pushed aside for later. It did not do to forget that his Kagome had restored the shikon no tama - nor that she carried its influence with her at all times. Quickly, his hands flickered through pages, unrolling, untying, his eyes scanning as rapidly as he could manage.

Finally, his fingers closed on a scroll that was, surprisingly, not as old as the rest When he unwrapped it, his eyes widened. The hand - this was his own hand that this was written in. This was what he had been seeking; before he read more than the first character, he knew.

_"Of the secrets hidden in the blood, only those of blood and fire shall be revealed_. _I do not trust history, or my own memory to last forever, but words have power to last..."_

There! This was the power of concealment he had been seeking – and the release that could reopen a youkai soul to the power of its blood, the fury and passion that usually came with the first hints of maturity and leapt into life like the seed of the fire blossom. He scanned the page rapidly, his hands shaking, the blood rising again in his eyes. It could be true, it _could be – _after all, he had no idea at all where Kagome had come from. Her past was like smoke to him, opaque and impenetrable.

"Words have power to last..."

Sesshomaru spoke those words aloud to himself, taking their ancient flavor away with the translation. He clenched the betraying paper tight in one fist. It was telling him to succumb to temptation, that the temptation was a magic purpose, the hunger of Kagome's blood seeking to be released. It was harder than that to believe that a human miko could be his blood match…but she _was_ a miko. His eyes lit suddenly, and he turned away from the dark places walked back towards the light, extinguishing torches behind him.

Perhaps it was fortuitous that Kinawai had come, after all - Kinawai, who was known as the Dragon-eyed, Kinawai, who had the gift of Sight.

_If there is something about her that is hidden from me, if there is more to this than demon eyes and blood-scent, he will tell me. I want - I want - _

He wanted desperately for it to be true, and did not dare admit it even in his thoughts. As it was, he knew he was being foolish; it had been true until he told her and she had wanted him to give her that release. It had been true while he touched her, and while she reached out to him...it had been true while he took thatkiss from her...and another...and now, _now_, it was not true?

At the end of the passage leading out to the light, Sesshomaru stopped dead and looked down at his hands. The reason for his discomfort, for the atrocity of his change of heart, was suddenly obvious. It darkened his vision, almost made him sway.

_I am - I am _afraid_. _

His own desire, his lust for the miko, was terrifying...but he did not understand. How could it be that he, Sesshomaru, son of the Inu no Taisho, was afraid? Was it...Kagome? But something in that thought did not feel right, and as soon as it came to him he recognized the truth.

_She _is_ youkai; I know it. But - _if_ she is _not -

He was beginning to feel like his entire life hinged on that _if_.

* * *

"Miroku! Miroku!"

Sango's voice, strained and high-pitched with an edge of fear, shattered the still quiet of the morning. When the sun had peeked its first sleepy rays over the horizon, she had gone to the tree where Inuyasha always sat, staring vaguely into the south after Kagome, who he had lost. She had wanted to try again to get him to talk, to say why or where Kagome had gone, but he was not there; not anywhere in the village, or the forest the bordered it. Even the cave he had thought so secret, betrayed by Kagome's trust in her friends, if not his, showed that he had not visited there for at least days.

"Miroku!"

A tousled head of dark hair poked blinking around the curtain of a small hut, squinting violet-black eyes against the sudden ferocity of the new sun.

"Sa…ango?"

Her name was interrupted by a pearl-toothed yawn.

"It's...barely past dawn. We aren't wandering and fighting any more, you know. Is it possible that one of these mornings I might get to sleep past first light?"

Sango dismissed his words with a glare and a toss of her hair. She had let it grow longer, and she wore it loose and free now that she was not always in battle, but she had yet to grow used to the tickling weight of it.

"Inuyasha is gone, Miroku. I've checked everywhere I can think of – the tree he has been sitting in, the houses in the village, even the cave in the forest. Nothing and no one has seen him since sunset three days ago, and I can't help worrying."

To her disappointment Miroku only shrugged, with a helpless look on his face.

"Frankly, I'm not really surprised. I counted him a friend, traveled with him before we ever knew you…and still I know that he stayed with us and protected us because of Kagome. Because he loved her, and tortured himself for it. To be honest, Sango, I…expected him to leave long before this. I was glad when he stayed, but I did not think it would last forever."

Sango hung her head, all the tense focus going out of her shoulders. She seemed to collapse in on herself like a doll without stuffing.

"I…you're right, of course. But where did he go, Miroku? Where could he possibly have gone?"

Grimly, he stared out towards the horizon, one hand coming up to push sleep-mussed hair away from his face.

"He won't come back here, I know that. There is no place for him here, not without Kagome, and this place is full of memories that must be painful to him. No, he will...he will wander, I suppose. I don't think he's gone to find Kagome, or he would have done so that very night the battle was finished."

Sango shook her head, trying to cling to hope.

"But you and I were wounded, and Shippou was here…he had to come back, just to bring us, and she was…gone. That's all I could ever get him to say – that she was not dead, but gone. And I wondered...if she had gone home, back to her own time - but she didn't, did she, Miroku? She wouldn't, not without saying goodbye."

Miroku peered past her towards the trees, his eyes momentarily blank.

"No, I don't think she would, Sango, but she might not have had a choice. And anyway...do you really think he would sacrifice his life with her for our lives? If Time had taken her, Inuyasha would have gone, too...or we would be on a new quest, searching for a way to bring her back. Something happened and I don't think he'll ever tell us what."

"If we hadn't been -"

He interrupted her anger with a sharp word.

"It isn't your fault, Sango, or mine - Inuyasha wouldn't have let her wander the forests we've seen, the plains we've crossed, just to bring us back here. Our wounds were not that serious, Sango. Neither of us would have suffered from a night on that battlefield any more than we already had. We destroyed the only enemy on that plain; all that was left was death and bones."

He reached across the space that separated them and took her hand, pressed her cold fingers gently between his own.

"We must find our own way, Sango, not linger in memories and hopes that have been taken away. If either of them is meant to come back to us, they will come. Would you search the whole of Nihon?"

Her fingers relaxed in his grip, trembled a little with a bare caress as response.

"Then what do we do? What task is left to us? I won't give up on her - I can't! But now it seems that our little group is really broken – without her, without Inuyasha. I promised I would care for Shippou – I remember that, and so does he. But he is still just a kit, and she's the second mother he has lost, now. He won't even consider that she isn't coming back. It would be too terrible, so I won't do it either; for his sake."

She was asking hopeless questions, asking without the real expectation of an answer that could be followed in a straight line. All logical paths had been emptied of purpose or meaning for her, but Miroku was not so daunted. He had already begun his life over again three times; first, when he was just a child, when he had learned of the nature of his curse, the possibility of his death. A second time, he had started over, when he had left his master's instruction to seek Naraku's death.

Now, this third time, he was beginning again - with Sango, Sango, whose iron beauty had stolen his heart, making all other women seem like fainting flowers in the spring. Now, perhaps he could be a real houshi, living like he was supposed to live. He could take advantage of the leniency afforded by distance and time; he could take a wife, in this village, and no one would complain. Once, he had not even dared to dream, and now he could take a wife and have children whose lives contained no obligation. They would be able to choose their own path, as he had not.

Sango waved her hand in front of his face, amused and perplexedly aggravated by no answer to her questions; not a sound, not a platitude escaped his lips, though he was staring quite alarmingly and contentedly into invisible distances.

"Miroku?"

"I am going to be a houshi."

She was stopped quite short by the ridiculous simplicity of his statement.

"You already _are_ a houshi."

"Not really; not a houshi who is responsible for the healing of the people, not a houshi who protects them from evil and from youkai - not a houshi who can stand in the sight of the kami, and speak for them."

Suddenly his gaze became more intense; he squeezed more tightly the fingers he had not let go of, enveloping the softness and calluses of her hands in his own.

"Such a houshi would need a strong wife, Sango. Danger surrounds this place on all sides, and the shrine I seek to protect must have its servant."

"Miroku."

She spoke softly, as if she did not dare to breathe. They had not spoken of the marriage that they had promised each other since before Naraku was slain, before Kagome had left them. The months since that day had been full of worrying and wondering, trying to build a place for themselves in the peaceful life of the village. She had almost begun to wonder if he had forgotten, if he regretted the promise he had made.

_I should have known better_.

Smiling, Sango allowed him to keep his hold on her hand; they walked together through the village, talking in quiet words about the battles they had fought, the victory they had won. They did not discuss the future, or the immediate past; they avoided those subjects which were painful, or dark with blood.

Kaede watched them more carefully than usual as they sat for the evening meal; even Shippou's eyes brightened a little, seeing what had always been so obvious to everyone else, finally becoming obvious to the two of them, as well. When Shippou was in bed, Miroku went to stand in the doorway and look out at the moonrise.

"Sango, will you come out and walk with me?"

There had been a time when she would never have trusted him alone in the dark; now, she looked up quickly and then down, nodded so he could not see her blush. He brought her to a shallow depression, not quite a valley, where the trees at the edge of the forest swung around in a narrow 'u' shape. The canopy was open over their heads, and the night revolved around them as they sat hand in hand. The stars became blurs of light in a warm dome of darkness that revealed more than was concealed, that fed half-desperate ardor that had been hidden by the sun.

Fumbling, blushing, Sango gave Miroku her first kiss - and Miroku, knowing that it was, was gentle with her, restrained his passion and led her delicately, his tongue barely brushing past her lips, his hands exerting only the gentlest tug on her shoulders. Her shyness had made him forget that she was a fighting woman - that gentleness was never what she was after. Quickly, her kisses became insistent, her hands tugging, pulling him closer, her mouth greedy, hot -

Slowly, Miroku disentangled himself, and stood. Her eyes were bright, questioning, distressed, and he sighed as he took a step back.

"I am going back into the village now, Sango, back to Kaede's house."

"Mi - Miroku?"

She was more beautiful than ever in her softness, her vulnerability - but that only made it more necessary that he step away now.

"I will not take you into my bed until you are my wife, Sango. You deserve no less, but if I do not go now - "

He smiled, flushed a little.

"Lovely Sango, luscious Sango, you have always underestimated your effect on me. When we are married - "

"Then - marry me soon, Miroku - "

With a little gasp, Sango flushed and clapped her hands over her mouth. What was she saying! Had she really -

"It was always my intention, Sango, but if you will allow it...tomorrow, I will speak to Kaede."

Slowly, she dropped her hands and lifted her eyes, shining over red-blushing cheeks, to meet his gaze. She nodded, wondered if she could become any more red. Tomorrow, he would speak to Kaede.

_Tomorrow_ -

"Good night, Sango."

He turned away then; she was too beautiful, too tempting, kneeling in disarray on the grass.

"Good night, Miroku."

* * *

A/N: Much thanks to: foxgodess07, reviewer number one! Anime Lady PIMP, reviewer number two! Chrissie0770, reviewer number three! Annnnd wrecklessangel, reviewer! Number! Four! Phew...um...ok...Kouga's Older Woman - reviewer number 5!(if you think _that_ was an interruption...ahahaha); flynalien, the mighty number six! Seleni, magic number 7, extra thanks for awesome praise :D - and, last but not least, Anime lady PIMP, who gets double props for TWO reviews - 2 and 8, how awesome is that? PHEW! You all ROCK! ahem. Now, chapter five is up! We see Miroku and sango! Annnd..other people. Mwaha.

Not to make this author's note too long or anything, but I just had to say - I have retyped this chapter FIVE TIMES in the last...twelve hours? Because everytime i finished it the page flashed back and it was ALL LOST. moral of the story...I'm typing on word from now on, which has autorecover. HA.

Please Review!

[overexcited by reviews](- should be obvious…)

Final Revisions, complete! Woo! Psyche test, 99! Also woo! I thought I was going to fail, yay! So...more soon, R&R! :D


	6. VI: Bridge of Dreams

VI.

Bridge of Dreams

* * *

For a little while, a few minutes, Sesshomaru's visitor - the Lord Kinawai - stood in silent shock, staring up at the place where Sesshomaru had paused to look down at him. His _friend_ was -

"What do you think is wrong with him, Kinawai?"

Kinawai's eyes slid down towards the female at his side, and then away.

_Kasuka…_

His mate was too fond of speaking openly things better left for private conversation.

"I don't think I know what you mean, Kasuka. What would you like to imply is _wrong_ with Sesshomaru-sama?"

The Hall around them suddenly contained a vicious whisper, like a voice from miles away carried in a sudden wind. The female turned her head aside, avoiding the match of eyes and wills that her mate sought to create.

"Kinawai, always so touchy. I only seek…knowledge. After all, if there were something troubling him, shouldn't we…help?"

Kinawai's studied glance at the back of her head displayed his disbelief of her words, but he made no more open challenge. Carefully, her fingers precise and elegant, Kasuka removed her cloak. It revealed green masses of curling hair that loitered on their way down her back and shoulders. The light that had not reached the features hidden behind the folds of her hood caressed them now, revealing a face of startling winter beauty, as if frosted from within.

It was a face so heavily imprinted with the perfection that was youkai heritage that even Kinawai, her own mate, found it impossible to remember her as herself; her features, once seen, seemed to slide out of thought. Only her eyes seemed unusual, as if they were hiding something, allowing a secret - or many - to lurk unidentified.

Those secrets reached from within Kasuka's barest glance like instruments of torture, capable of inflicting terrible agony without remorse on the unprepared. Her nose was small, delicate, slightly upturned over lavish lips; they were lover's lips, in a face wholly without love.

The invisible hands that had treated Kagome with such attentive care appeared to take Kinawai's cloak, and then disappeared into the woodwork, leaving Kasuka with her own in hand. Bitter laughter came from her when she realized it; a glint smoothed itself out in the corners of her eyes.

"The living and the dead, they all remember. So, my lord? Where is our host now - assuming that the tempest at the railing was, in fact, him? What could have caused such a thing?"

Kinawai did not answer, feeling the rise of certain sentiments that might end violently - for her. There was a certain intensity of annoyance that he could tolerate where his mate was concerned, but after that…

His gaze lingered silently on the railing where he had seen Sesshomaru, wild, roused to a point that would have forced the Change on any other youkai. Now, another hand appeared where he watched. At other times he had seen a human child, a girl, half-invisible by some skill of submission that kept her out of the way but still smiling. At first glance he thought the hand grasping the railing belonged to that child, judging only by delicacy. As he stared at it fixedly, his certainty wavered, and then his eyes widened; he felt the dragon Sight that was the gift of his mother's blood rising to the surface, overtaking his vision. It was a female, a demoness with golden eyes!

The overlay flickered, and then vanished as the hand was withdrawn. When he had regained his breath, Kinawai turned slightly and looked down at his mate.

"Perhaps there is your answer, Kasuka."

The scent of berries and spice that had tingled gently at the tip of Kinawai's nose stood with its source revealed in the one who possessed those pale and trembling fingers. He was...curious.

Kasuka watched with thinly veiled amusement as Kinawai hurried to the foot of the stairs. When she was certain his attention was no longer upon her, she stalked away into the Hall and disappeared behind a curtained door, cloak still in hand. When she was gone, a watchful presence relaxed; there was a sense of a hundred silent footsteps that lingered, and then melted away into the empty space.

* * *

Kagome sat on the edge of the chair where Sesshomaru had left her, leaned on the armrest and trembled. She felt a chill crawl over her skin though the air was warm and without menace. For the first time, she considered leaving - if she could. The strength of her response to Sesshomaru frightened her; the idea that nearly two months had passed while she had slept in fever dreams - that frightened her too. And – to be youkai! She could barely even think about it, couldn't wrap her thoughts around the idea. Mostly, it was Sesshomaru who was at the front of her thoughts, Sesshomaru who so confused her – with his ideas, his explanations, his actions.

Why let her stay; why heal her? Why...do anything else?

With light steps, Kagome crossed the room to a window; beneath her, it showed a view of perfect gardens and careful courtyards, out to a wall that shimmered in the distance, high and white. The drop to the ground from the balcony was high - not impossibly so – but either Sesshomaru would let her out the door, or jumping from windows would do no good. He needed no physical barriers to keep her where he wished, not when he could catch her running by the taste of her scent, follow at the speed of the wind.

Inuyasha had done it; there was no doubt in her mind that Sesshomaru could, and with far more ease.

_But I don't want to stay in _here_._

Her eyes were on the armrest of the chair behind her; Sesshomaru's claws had left deep rents, and her obi was scattered in pieces across the furniture, some of them on the floor.

She was careful about holding the edges of her robe together as she moved around the room; her feet wandered past the shelves stacked around her slowly, but the movements of her eyes were rapid and darting.

_Maybe…I can find my way back to the room I was in before? The room where I was sleeping…_

The library door was right in front of her, wide-open. She crossed the room towards it and peeked outside around the edge. No one was there, but for a second time she readjusted the robes that Sesshomaru had - had -

Heat flushed through her, almost as bad as when he had been touching her. When he looked at her that way, when his hands -

She could not help believing him; she could not help wanting him, wanting what he offered. She knew - _knew_ - that she should be afraid...but she wasn't. And if she was youkai...if she was youkai...he would let himself want her. She could see it in his face, knew, deep in herself, what was restraining him - why he pulled back from her at the last moment each time he touched her.

_If..._

Beyond that, she had not yet decided what a demon nature would mean for her - she could only suspect. It was not the _power_ she wanted, but the freedom for whatever was chained inside her; she did not want to regret, someday, that she had not taken this chance. And then, attached to every one of these thoughts, there was Sesshomaru…again.

Kagome took a deep breath and stepped outside. The hallway outside the library was dim, lit by lamps that lined the walls with a flickering of oil light, illuminating the long tapestries that covered the cold stone. The rug under her feet was rough and soft, a narrow lane of warmth down the middle of the corridor, and she saw quickly that it bore a pattern similar to the one that had carved its way down the bedposts of the bed in the room where she had been sleeping; the shape of the Inu, Inu everywhere, in shape and fang and fur and tapestry.

One hand on the wall, her footsteps slow, Kagome followed the tapestries down the twisting hallways. She stopped before one particular, imposing view, the great white shape of the Inu no Taisho bearing down over a giant wolf, the hanging she had been admiring before.

Sesshomaru had interrupted her earlier examination; she could see now that both youkai in the tapestry were covered in bloody wounds; the trees that formed the background of the weaving were splashed with blood and the ground was trampled into a froth of red mud. The Inu had his teeth in the throat of the wolf; the wolf's claws were buried deep in the flanks of the Inu.

She noticed suddenly that there was a sequence to these cloth-portraits, a story in the long row of tapestries. To the right, the Inu stood triumphant, howling over the body of his adversary…and to the left, in the previous frame, she saw a human woman in glorious embroidered robes, the _junihitoe_ of an Imperial lady. Behind the Lady was an Inu-youkai with a face like Sesshomaru's but softer, silver hair bound up in a high tail; he wore three swords and she knew immediately that it was the more human shape of the father. Seeing that, she knew instantly that the woman was -

Yes. In her arms was the soft bundle of an infant and the tiny, perfect features, a peeking fang and two tiny, white-furred ears, gave away his identity.

_Inuyasha._

The sight of him, his likeness worked in thread, the thought of the pup he once had been, awoke a sudden and terrifying sadness. She had loved him - _loved him_ -

Grief welled up from deep inside her, grief she thought she had put behind her in the long months of travel - six months, wandering from village to village, aiding the wounded, purifying youkai - six months…but not enough, perhaps. She turned away from the tapestry as if that way she could turn away from the reasonless depths of pain; she stumbled, and her hand reached out and caught a railing she had not even been aware of. Between its bars, she could see the empty space of an enormous Hall beneath her feet.

Then came the eyes!

Her soul felt naked before them, as if her flesh was melting away to reveal the bare essence of her being. Her awareness flickered, a snapshot of the future or the past designing changes to the outlines of her body, her thoughts – sharpness! Kagome snatched her hands away, backed into the shadows, and felt the weight of heavy cloth against her hands. She was touching the tapestry that had caught her attention. At the other end of the hall she saw suddenly the open door of the room she had been sleeping in, inviting her with privacy, escape.

She was already too late. There were footsteps coming up the stairs - swift footsteps – and she was unable to move an inch. It was not fear that held her still, but something deeper, wherein the powers of her senses were amplified by a mysterious and empty need. That _need_ told her there was no menace in those footsteps, told her in a silent voice that she had heard before, in her dreams and in her darkest moments. She relinquished her hold on the corner of tapestry that had come into her hand; the feeling melted away, and she was left knowing only that _those eyes_ were standing behind her.

"You seem entranced. Are you a guest of Sesshomaru?"

Kagome was startled by the voice despite the fact that she knew someone was behind her; it was unlike her expectations of youkai, shaped by Sesshomaru's coldness, Inuyasha's roughness, Kouga's arrogance. This voice held warmth, a tingle of curiosity, but no contempt – as if he didn't care that she was human.

"Yes, I -"

Kagome turned to face the owner of this voice, and was confused. The eyes that had stripped her were aching and green over high cheekbones; this demon had skin darker than Sesshomaru's, and lips that had known sternness and laughter both, but now were smiling. While she spoke, his eyes glittered, searching her.

"I am his guest. My name is Kagome."

His smile widened, revealed sharp teeth, wildness.

"Kagome-sama."

He bowed; she was confused beyond belief, but she retained just enough presence of mind to return his gesture.

"You must forgive me for…surprising you. I was intrigued by your scent, Kagome-sama, and now that I am close to you I see that it is a miko's scent. What are you doing…_here_?"

Kinawai's eyes momentarily dissected her disheveled appearance and then focused again on her face. Her eyes darted down, not even attempting to match that stare, and came back up to him smiling. She had learned while she was traveling that that was the best reaction when anyone asked _that question_. She had heard it a hundred times, a hundred ways - _why does a miko allow a youkai near her?_ When she smiled, instead of reacting with anger or fear, whoever was asking was always astonished. This youkai was no different; his confusion was so real he took a half-step back, and that gave her the confidence to offer something that _he _found to be a fascinating tidbit.

"I am - visiting."

He eyed her, and this time there was no strangeness in it, no pressure. Rather, his eyes were focused on the rents in her exquisite robes, the loss of her obi and the rapidly darkening marks of teeth at her throat and the edge of her not-quite-closed collar. Kagome noticed his preoccupation, flushed faintly and then stammered out a question.

"Please, tell me - who are you?"

The youkai hesitated for a moment, and then his smile returned.

"Kinawai, Kagome-sama; my name is Kinawai. I am…a friend of Sesshomaru's, but I was not aware that he had been keeping company with a miko. And there is something else about you - "

He was talking about what his eyes had revealed in her, what his Sight had shown him while he was looking up from the floor below. He was talking about the sparkle of sharpness that could have been claws, the red flicker of eyes that had been barely visible - but Kagome's thoughts immediately darted to the jewel that was hung around her neck.

Sesshomaru had never been interested in it, but -

_This Kinawai is youkai and I cannot forget the shikon no tama_. _Cannot forget - cannot forget! _

The light in her eyes was quenched; her smile dissolved. Her hand shot up and grasped the gem around her throat, and it was only then that Kinawai noticed it; that the pull of strong power he felt from her was not all her own.

"You - you carry the shikon no tama? You are _that_ miko?"

His eyes were drawn downwards to the glitter of gem half-hidden by her hand; she took a step backwards, her eyes focusing behind him on the open door that she had first been aiming for.

_If I could just - _

She sensed no violence in him, no danger, but the expression on his face was changing - and there were his words, the recognition in them. How did he know who she was? What else did he know?

"Kagome-sama -"

"Please - I - have to go, now."

"Kagome-sama…"

Slowly, she edge around him, her back to the railing, and then she was free. Out of her control, her feet pushed her forward; she ran down the hall to the only room that was familiar, and shut the door behind her.

At first only amused, Kinawai's eyes followed her as she ran - and then widened. He knew what she did not - he knew that it was Sesshomaru's own chamber that she had gone into.

_So, Sesshomaru, that is how it is?_

He missed the gold eyes glittering at him from the other end of the hallway; they disappeared before he could turn around.

* * *

Purposefully, Kinawai strode down the hallway to the place he knew was Sesshomaru's retreat, unknowing retracing Kagome's footsteps. He pushed open the door to the library with a single thrust of his arms - and instantly, Sesshomaru dragged him inside and shoved him against the nearest wall; his voice was ragged, all reason dispelled. The hands that grabbed Kinawai were shaking with tenseness, his words thick with blood.

"You have seen her, you have seen - I heard you, talking to her. Tell me, what do you see when you look at her?"

There was a glitter of red from the corners of his eyes.

"What do you See, Kinawai?"

Kinawai was not worried; a thin, stinging smile was beginning to wind its way across his face.

"So, you speak of your strange guest, yes? I never thought I would see you this way, wild after a woman!"

Sesshomaru's growl was sudden, meant to silence. Kinawai ignored it.

"I met her in the hallway, and she was human…but when I saw her from below stairs she was…something else. Then, she looked at me, and she was…_smiling_. Full of power, that one - but she carries the shikon no tama, Sesshomaru, and that means she is the miko who walked with your brother. What is she doing here? Why are you keeping your brother's woman, Sesshomaru?"

He knew the words were harsh, made them that way deliberately. Too often had he heard Sesshomaru's sneering remarks for humanity, and now he was keeping, not one, but two! And this one -the girl was strange enough, had caused trouble, but this Kagome was dangerous!

Sesshomaru bared his fangs, snarling, and leapt out into the corridor, dragging Kinawai behind him towards his own bedroom. Halfway down the hall he let go, but Kinawai still followed, slower, wondering what it was that he would find in that room.

Inside, he found Sesshomaru, bent over Kagome, who was huddled wide-eyed on a pallet of furs. The looming presence of the two youkai startled her so much that she almost screamed. For a moment, she fully believed that _one_ of them intended to kill her.

Her hands scrabbled for purchase on the soft furs behind her, seeking distance, or a place to hide from the deafening features that held her focus. She could not speak, found herself suddenly tense with a fear that had gained purchase in her throat and fluttered now around her heartbeat, aching.

_Why? I wasn't afraid - before - _

Sesshomaru was close to her then, pressed his face against her skin and breathed, drunk on the scent of crushed berries and mulling spices, thicker than wine and far more narcotic. She was stiff with fear and nervous want, until he looked up at her and met her eyes, bewitched.

She saw only the gold, streaked with red, glowing, potent; abruptly tears were running down her face in streams.

Suddenly, instead of pulling towards her, Sesshomaru was pulling frantically away; it was _her_ hands that were clutching, her fingers tight. He was vaguely aware that he should be concerned, but small sparks of terror were igniting unusual thoughts. Only Rin had ever done this, thrown herself at him in a delirium of tears, and only once. He had allowed it; the memory of a wolf-torn death could not be pleasant for a child.

But this -! A grown human woman, a miko, that had so recently been an object of distrust, pleading at him with her eyes and her hands for – comfort?

With the softest of growls, so deep it seemed as the rumble of a distant storm, he disentangled her clutching hands from his hair, his shoulders, his hands, and eased back with her onto the pallet of cushions that had been her bed. She lay across his crossed legs, drawn up into a knot of curious pain, and sobbed into his chest. The gentle vibration of his growl soothed her inner agony; gradually, the tears abated, and there was only an occasional hitch in her breath. He should have put her down, but was oddly comfortable, leaning against the wall with the warm weight of his Kagome, and he was forced to recognize the fact that, other concerns aside, his thoughts had already claimed her; possession of her came as easily as that. He would not let even _her_ deny it.

He had found her, and healed her; more deeply, more intimately than she knew. His blood ran in her veins. The haze of her skin-scent and a thicker taunt still covered him. Despite Kinawai's presence, he sank into it willingly. His eyes glanced up and saw the Tiger-lord still standing in his doorway; Sesshomaru moved a single claw, let it slip into her flesh, and a drop of blood flowed down her arm. She sighed, and then lifted herself to his tongue when it touched the tiny scratch.

"See, Kinawai? The scent of her…"

Even under the influence of Kagome, it was obvious to him that Kinawai, did, in fact, See. His eyes had become wide, wavering stars.

"What - what _is_ she? Sesshomaru - that woman - "

Somewhere deep in Sesshomaru's soul, there was a roar of victory; his hands tightened with the urge to claim his prize.

"She is youkai; she is miko. I wanted _you_ to look at her, so that I would know it is true."

Kinawai's eyes moved slanting across Kagome, relaxed in Sesshomaru's grasp, her eyes closed almost as if she was sleeping. Her robes had fallen apart to reveal the fullness of the dark, red bruises at her throat, across the tops of her breasts; there were the marks of fangs, the imprints of sharp teeth in her flesh.

"What are you going to do with her, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru only smiled; the expression was deadly, beautiful.

"You should go now, Kinawai. Later, I will ask you why you came, and why you brought Kasuka."

As Kinawai's mouth began to open, in protest or explanation, Sesshomaru's smile disappeared; his face regained its usual coldness.

"Later, Kinawai. Not now. Not...now."

Sesshomaru ignored him after that; his attention returned to Kagome, her fluttering eyelashes, her trembling breath.

* * *

A/N: Much apologizings for no updates yesterday; I slept! It was good...so now, refreshed and rampant: chapter 6! more soon! Also, thanks to new reviews! That means you, caitibug323, and Iamdimples! Thanks to repeat reviewers, too, which means Anime Lady PIMP (Kinky-hoe? HA! I had to say that out loud before I got it, though, does that make me lame?) and Kouga's Older Woman - cause that's extra awesomeness! Coming Soon to A Fic Near You (actually this one) : Lemony. Goodness.

Woo! Final Revisions, complete! Continuing onward!


	7. VII: Madness Most Discreet

VII.

Madness Most Discreet

* * *

It was the darkest part of the night, and the broad leaves of the trees in Inuyasha's forest wore the glimmers of gathering dew like a shattered crown. The moon's shadowed green light gave the world a supernatural aspect, turned every plant into an eerie spirit, every village into a ghost town inhabited by sleeping specters. In the high branches of the Goshinboku, Inuyasha had been waiting, watching, staring into the deep velvet of the sky and listening to a pounding inside himself grow louder. Now, he ran through the dark trees and then leapt up to a once- familiar spot.

To the new eyes of Inuyasha's unfiltered blood, the nights were long and silent, and the days were dark. Small branches shifted in the lightness of a damp breeze. The chittering of birds had been a swift, darting music, but now there was a warning clatter amidst the leaf-canopy and stillness descended, the silencing of all noises. Only the wind continued to move as life hid, fearing the approach of this hunter, a known scent tainted with insanity.

Tonight, _it_ would happen. Tonight, all the dreaming and waiting would be over; tonight he could finally have everything that should belong to one with the blood of youkai lords in his veins. Tonight, he would succumb, and he would become, and the world would learn to fear him.

No light reflected from his eyes; any who knew his condition would have kept far away from that one sign, the utter blankness that showed the demon's dominance over his soul.

Where he sat, there was a clear view both up and down, and his eyes shifted randomly, without purpose, somehow tense. When he looked down, there was a pit as deep and black as a sky without stars; the hollow darkness of the empty well nagged at him like an old scar in cold weather. Images flashed across his thoughts like slippery knives; a woman, a man. A kit - and another woman, the woman full of light. He could not remember her name; barely, he could remember that at the beginning of all this, whatever _this_ was, he had known that her name was the prayer to protect him.

Now that it was gone, there was nothing to keep him safe. Tonight, Kikyou would come, and his damnation was in her hands. Did it matter, that she was second choice for him, to her? She had to know it, know that only in this submitted place within him did the evil thoughts surface, full of violence.

He sensed that she wanted the violence, and a panting laugh came to him, a harsh, inhuman sound. It floated on the wind and into the village, to disturb the dreams that belonged the faces of his troubled thoughts; even if they had been awake, they would never have guessed that _he_ was the origin of that noise.

The deep compulsions that had been buried in his mind would not allow him to analyze his separation from his thoughts too deeply. It had been months; seasons. The light had gone away from him, had gone out in a flash of blue intensity behind which was…nothing.

Inuyasha lived in a shadow world, in which he was utterly alone. For moments of penetrating, painful brilliance, he had occasionally been restored to himself - but it did not last. He had considered, in the beginning, going back to those people - those..._friends_. But if he went among them, talked to them, let them look into his face, then they would _know_. Long ago, they had all been prepared for that moment of knowing, and he was aware that the hardness they had learned would not permit them to let him live as he was, to live in the madness. The woman had come to him more than once, searching him out, her words full of questions about the light that had left him, but -

Not even the sword could help him now.

Half-breed, dangerous, monster, hanyou!

From the moment he had first gained the ability to suppress it, redirect it, the madness had hovered beneath the surface in him. He knew the cause, his mother's human blood too weak to restrain the wild strength of youkai ferocity, youkai pleasures, youkai pain. He had always known this about himself - had known since the first time he had laid a hand on his sword with the intention of stopping this transformation, had known even before that, when his mother had wept for him, inescapable tears.

_What does it mean, hanyou?_ He had asked her; he had not really wanted to know.

His veins felt consistently hot now, as though his blood ran alongside acid, making his flesh tremble. As he moved, he bared his teeth at the night. His eyes were dry and stretched, dark-tinged hollows in a gaunt and wrathful expression. His cheekbones stood out, sharpening curves into angles, until skull-shadows controlled the contours of his face. Inuyasha snarled, fangs and claws reaching through the darkness, rending the night, seeking.

He leapt down suddenly, landed on the edge of the well and dug his claws into the wood, clenching, cracking, splintering. In his head, there was suddenly a whirl of light and color, the sound of laughter, a soft scent and the echo of a name that he had lost forever.

What was left of his memories tormented him; he could not grasp them now, but they were real; that much, he knew.

Again, the panting laughter. The one who was the light in his thoughts had made him think he could escape, that there was a way out, that if he opened his heart he could keep from fulfilling the destructive potential that came eventually to all of his kind.

Here it was, that potential, but now he was waiting to welcome it. Kikyou had come back and she brought with her a way to power that had seduced the beast in his soul as that _other woman _had seduced his heart. His heart, as soft and fragile as all other hearts, rich with blood, full of the taste of life. He should never have thought of it any other way.

The demon in possession of Inuyasha's soul did not know that already he was lost; that the darkness inside would consume even his flesh.

Without warning or sound, a sudden light, blistering blue, unnatural, leapt up from between distant trees. He grinned widely, fangs glinting in the diamond light of stars, and the red of his eyes, the darkness of his face, filled out and took on frightening proportions. The jagged stripes on his cheeks stood out against a moon-tinged pallor; he let out a sudden, blistering howl.

That light - it was her signal, though he didn't know how he knew. He had always had actions first and thoughts later where Kikyou was concerned. That alone had not changed; she had _made_ him that way. Silently, he leapt away from the edge of the well, ran out into the trees towards that light - not the right light, not the light that could save him...but Kikyou was all that he had now; the last thing he had left. Why was that? Why - what had happened, that had made it this way?

As much as he tried, he could not remember; he could not bring his thoughts back to that day, that _moment_ - he could not remember, could not - could not -

But too quickly, he came to Kikyou, standing alone in a small clearing, herself the center of that terrible radiance.

"Inuyasha. You come so quickly; did you miss me?"

As he stepped into the light, reaching towards her, something dark, something horrible on his face, he fell to his knees. What left his lips then was not a howl, not a cry - it was a scream, the expression of pain the likes of which he had never felt before. Slowly, as he fell to his knees, the light restored him to something like the hanyou he had been before, but his eyes were dull, not golden but blue, the clear azure color of the light.

"Ki - Ki -"

"Yes; I am Kikyou, Inuyasha. Kikyou. Come with me, now. There is one more thing I need you to do for me, and then you will be free."

She smiled at him. The expression was...almost tender. For a moment, there was a flash of Inuyasha in his face; it faded almost before she had time to recognize it.

"Free forever."

Woodenly, brokenly, he came to her, embraced her. She allowed it, stood still and let him touch her. His claws would have hurt her, if her flesh had been flesh.

But it was not.

_It will be over soon._

* * *

The first night, after she had had woken, Kagome did not think she would be able to sleep - but once she was under those furs again three nights and two days passed by, and she was dead to the world. While the sun was still bright in the sky each day, Rin cracked open the door in the quietest way possible and peered in. She had been given an important task by her _Sesshomaru-sama_; it was her job to take care of this woman. Rin did not wish to wake her, so she was very quiet, but she was intent on her responsibility. It was not often that she had a task; to be trusted with something of such importance was a great honor.

Sesshomaru-sama had said so.

Sesshomaru himself stayed away; he did not trust himself to enter that room, where she was sleeping, and not do something...irrevocable. He spoke with Kinawai outside, and did so with narrowed eyes. There was something he knew Kinawai was not telling him; he could _tell_. They had discussed a thousand rumors, the last _three_ battles he had had with his brother - the number, in and of itself, was infuriating - and...Kagome. Kinawai had a hundred questions about Kagome, and then another hundred - and then he sat quietly, drinking sake or damson wine with a thoughtful expression on his face that made Sesshomaru angry. More than angry. _Furious - _because Kinawai's voice on her name made his possessive instincts twitch, because he wanted to keep all the things he knew about her, all the things he had learned, to himself – as well as all the things he did _not_ know.

_Especially with that female around. Kasuka._

Now was no different than the last two days had been, and he was tired of it.

"So tell me, Sesshomaru, why - "

For a moment Sesshomaru looked up, and Kinawai thought his eyes oddly bright.

"_You_ tell _me_ where have you sent Kasuka, Kinawai."

Slightly startled, Kinawai shrugged, watching fragrant steam come out of his cup and turn over itself in loops and spirals. His mate had disappeared almost immediately after they had arrived; he had no idea where she was, and felt more than a little uncomfortable admitting it.

"Nowhere, and you knew that before you asked. She, too, does what she will – and when. As much as _you_ do."

And he shook his head, an unvoiced comment on the depth of his understanding of his mate. Sesshomaru was glaring at him, and he did not know why; Sesshomaru was...expressing himself, and that in itself was unusual enough to make this conversation worthwhile.

_As much as yesterday's. _

Kinawai allowed himself a bit of a smile, and leaned back in his chair; unseen hands refilled his cup. The wind was cool, and the shade was nice here, the hot wine relaxing, smooth. His eyes closed to slits of glittering green.

Sesshomaru's thoughts were seething. If Kagome had not been wounded, then he would not have brought her back here, and he would not have been here to receive Kinawai and...that _female_. Of the visitors he received, Kinawai was the only one he welcomed. Kinawai had been his father's friend; he would count him his own friend, as well - but now... with Kagome in his home, it was not – wise. Rumor had already spread that he suffered from weakness, that his Blood was thinning - that his half-born brother had defeated him. Already, he had been forced to the Challenge twice in six seasons, because of his girl.

_Rin. But I killed them both, and it was not even a - challenge._

He smiled. Did it matter, really? If there was anyone foolish enough to attack him, he would deal with it the same way he always had; it was a good enough method. Kinawai's voice cut in on thoughts of blood, low and thoughtful.

"You know, Sesshomaru, if it were not for the fact that she seems to bind the Dragon clans to my command, I would have killed Kasuka long ago and found myself a true mate. She certainly does not care much for me or my opinions – she follows her own path."

Sesshomaru looked up sharply. What was _this_?

"You know what I –"

Kinawai spoke sharply, neatly slicing away the end of Sesshomaru's sentence before he could speak it.

"Yes, I know your feelings, and your thoughts, and still you have never provided me with reason for your...dislike. Whether or not you believe me, I _do_ take your sentiments into account…but no more."

He relaxed, and smiled easily.

"You should be grateful she decided to cut her visit short, since she so displeases you, and be less concerned with why. I only mention it because you have such an interesting -"

Abruptly, Sesshomaru turned away and looked up towards the door and inside.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Kagome. Kagome is awake."

Kinawai raised an eyebrow in his direction, smiled a secretive smile. Sesshomaru stared at him suddenly, at that smile - the hidden thing was in it, the thing he had not yet been told.

"But she - she will wait, for now."

He took a deep breath, steadied himself enough to make the words true.

"_You_ are going to tell me why you are here, Kinawai. It is not just because you like my wine."

Kinawai let out a long breath.

* * *

Kagome awoke alone, and yawned her way back to consciousness slowly. The furs were warm, and she lay quietly for a while, until an annoying ache began to manifest itself in her leg, and she sighed and forced herself to sit up.

The first thing she noticed was that the ache in her chest and side were gone; she lifted the robe she had slept in, peered down at her skin. There were no bandages, no wounds. Confused, she reached down and ran her fingers over the thin, almost invisible lines of silvery-pink scars. The wounds - gone?

_How is that possible?_

She lifted her feet over the edge of her pallet, and shivered a little; the floor was cold. Rubbing her arms, she crossed the room to the window, peered outside at a late afternoon sky of clean, deep blue. The door opened behind her and she turned quickly, her thoughts leaping - but, like the first time, there was no one there, and she had again a sense of faint, feminine laughter.

"You - you are the one who was here before?"

Something like a whisper without any words told Kagome that yes, this was true.

"Have you...are you here to help me, again?"

The door of the wardrobe opened, and then she felt hands on her back, pushing her gently in the direction of the open bureau.

"I - I don't know what I should wear, I've never really worn clothes like these before."

It was strange, talking to the air, but she was slowly growing used to it.

"Will you help me pick something, please?"

A pair of different robes lifted themselves in her direction, one a well-glossed russet and the other dyed in deepening shades of autumn gold.

"Oh! Yes, thank you."

When she was dressed, the door opened, and she thought she was alone again, but the door never closed.

"Am I supposed to go somewhere? Or - follow you?"

The door opened wider, and Kagome supposed that was all the affirmation she would get.

"I'll try, but it's not going to be easy to follow you when I can't see you."

She heard the laughter again, and followed _it_, if only because there was nothing else for her to do. Down hallways and stairs, hands reaching out in front of her as if that might help, Kagome followed her invisible servant in what was quickly becoming something like a maddening game of hide and seek. _No-hands_ would open a door, and _no-hands_ left it open for her to follow. Quite suddenly, she realized that she had been led outside, and then the door shut behind her and would not open even when she pulled on it.

_What on earth..._

Kagome gave the door one more halfhearted tug, and then shrugged and turned away. She could hear voices in the garden, very close to where she was standing, and she crept up to the edge of a tall hedge of maple trees and autumn flowers.

"You seem distracted; are you sure now is the time for such questions? Why is it that she is here with you, anyway?"

"I was weak in the face of her suffering – it was my fault. When I found her, Kinawai, she drew me to her…she is like strong wine. I feel her scent – it becomes more than a scent. I cannot be close to her for too long!"

Kagome almost stopped breathing_._

_Sesshomaru!_

Carefully, aware that if she made the slightest noise, she would be noticed, Kagome peered through the overlapping leaves. She saw the youkai she had met in the hall - Kinawai. He was staring at Sesshomaru with unreadable eyes, a blanked expression that showed only mild concern.

"And she does not move you with power? You are certain of this?"

Sesshomaru laughed in response to that, and Kagome almost took a step back, stopped when she felt a leaf rustle against her elbow. It was a disturbing sound; she had never thought to hear Sesshomaru laughing, and this was more than just humor. There was a hunger for blood in the sound; she let out a shaky sigh. Kinawai's eyes darted in her direction - he could see her, she was sure of it! - but then he looked away, and she took a very slow, deep breath.

"Certain? I am certain of nothing! She was wounded, poisoned…and I was so concerned for her, so inexplicably concerned…still, that was not enough. The poison of such youkai is virulent poison. I brought her here, where my own could tend her…and put her in my room; my own room! Do not ask me why, I cannot tell you - but it is worse than that, Kinawai."

"Worse?"

"She slept for so long that the ones tending to her were - fearful. I -"

He stopped speaking, and Kagome watched the strangest collection of expressions she had ever seen flail across his face and then disappear out of sight, the old mask in place again.

_What - what was - _

"I gave her my blood, Kinawai, do you understand? _Twice, _I have healed her; my blood runs in her veins; she is mine - mine - but - "

"But you see a human and cannot get past the sight. You want to know why I am here, Sesshomaru, you want to know why I have come? I was sent with a message - from Eldest, for you."

Kagome saw Sesshomaru go suddenly still, and Kinawai nodded sharply, as if he expected that stillness and found it utterly appropriate.

"Yes. Eldest. She sent me to tell you - to tell you - "

He paused, until Sesshomaru's growl promise immediate violence if he did not speak.

"She sent me to tell you exactly these words, Sesshomaru: _What you want - that is real. You have it in my own words. What are you waiting for?_"

A long shudder crept down Sesshomaru's body; Kagome saw it, but it didn't matter. She, too, was focused on Kinawai's words. She did not know who _Eldest_ was, had no knowledge of such a person, but the words themselves were clear enough to her.

_It is true. It is true, I know it, I knew it when he said it. I am - youkai._

She could see the same knowledge, the same awareness coming over Sesshomaru, even as he tried to fight it.

"Eldest! She has nothing to do with me; why send me such a message?"

"I didn't know - until I came here. What are you going to do, Sesshomaru? Will you mate the miko?"

"I cannot. Cannot!"

"She is not human."

Sesshomaru bared his teeth, and his next words struck Kagome down to her knees.

"No! That doesn't matter! She - she was Inuyasha's woman! She is mine, but - she was Inuyasha's woman!"

He turned away, and strode out of the garden. The fingers of his hand were twitching with repressed feeling, but Kagome saw only that he was going away from her, not towards her, and let out a tiny sigh of relief.

* * *

A/N: And...since I can't get the next scene for Ukime straight yet, another chapter of this! And also, the next chapter (cause its almost done). And then...the lemon! I think...pretty sure...

Much thanks to all reviewers; you're starting to be too many to do all of you, but lets see if I can try: Thanks to...Kouga's Older Woman (it does, it really does!), flynalien (much thanks!), wrecklessangel(and the chapter loves you too!), Wudelfin (mwaha! complexity, the bane of all authors who want to stay...well, sane...and...Look! Inuyasha! Poor Inu...), caitibug323(updates, updates on FIRE!), Anime Lady PIMP (at least it's not just me!), lunarcat12(If I were Kagome, I would be WAY more freaked out in general, since I fell through a well into the past! HA! and making Sesshomaru feel things is fun. especially when they're naughty things. HA again!), tifftails88(much thanks! being a best rocks monkeys!), and, last but not least, KatiechanXoxoXSesshoukun (updated! soon!)

WoW! Being in general overexcited, and about reviews in particular...next chapter!

Final Revisions, Complete! :D R&R!


	8. VIII: Some Rise By Sin

VIII.

Some Rise By Sin, And Some By Virtue Fall

* * *

Kagome knew almost immediately that her relief had been premature. All too soon there was a shadow behind her, looming over her. This aura, this heavy presence, was quickly becoming familiar.

"Kinawai-sama."

She stood slowly from where she had been kneeling, hiding behind the trees, and looked up at him, daring him to question her presence. He took her challenge, but not quite in the manner she thought.

"You were listening, Kagome-sama. Or may I call you Kagome?"

He was disarming her again with his smile, his charming tone and generous words.

"Yes, and...and yes. But I didn't mean to overhear, I didn't come out her to - spy, or anything. I was - led out here. It was...very strange, and then I couldn't get back inside. I heard voices -"

Her eyes were suddenly defiant as she went over the conversation she had heard a second time, remembering, sorting through impressions.

"He does not own me!"

Kinawai's rich laugh surprised her, stinging her pride with a flaying as fine as that of a needle-tipped whip.

"He has claimed you, Kagome, claimed you with his own blood and the price of your life. You cannot tell me truly you do not want him; females always want him."

She flushed.

"I - I don't know what I want."

"Oh?"

He stepped closer, and suddenly her back was pressed against a tree.

"I think you are lying to me, Kagome. I can smell your deception, you know, under the scent of that beautiful blood. I think that if Sesshomaru knew how to Chase a human, you would already be his...and happy about it."

Her flush darkened to a deep red blush, but she had focused on a strangeness in his phrasing.

"Chase-?"

"Yes. The day is coming when he will come to you, and reach for you, and you will see both death and love in him. That is how it is written, for us. Will you Run for him?"

She almost smiled; he thought it brave of her.

"Me, run from him? What would be the point?"

He smiled, a thin expression of secret amusement.

"Indeed."

He moved just the smallest bit closer to her, and stared down at her through the fall of his hair, flat and black. For some reason her eyes focused on the shining beads that had been tied into his hair just in front of his ears.

"I will tell you a thing, miko, a thing I see you do not understand. There is gold woven through you; with the Sight I was given, I can see it - and it is youkai power. You are a caged thing, and someday you will know it and writhe in your cage, when the time for the unbarring of the lock and the opening of the door is past. Now, Sesshomaru is standing in front of you, with the key that fits best and …willing hands."

A smirk touched his eyes again, restless with Tiger.

"Ah, but maybe you do not like him? I would be good to you too, Kagome…and I have been wondering, is the taste of you as sweet, as strong as he says?"

Suddenly, she could not remember the taste of Sesshomaru's kiss; Kinawai's lips were soft against her mouth, overwriting the memory, and then, so carefully, a fang, piercing her lip -

There was a white blur, and Kinawai was - gone. She saw blood, heard laughter, a roar -

Sesshomaru.

"She is _mine!_"

Suddenly Kagome could think again; her eyes darted rapidly around the garden, took in sudden destruction on a massive scale. She did not understand - it had happened so fast! She focused on Sesshomaru; he had Kinawai by the throat; there were flowers were broken and scattered as if by a typhoon, the trees shattered - there was a straining in his features, something she could not quite see. What was it? She had the feeling she had seen it somewhere before -

She closed her eyes, and into her thoughts flashed the image of the Inu, enormous, fangs reaching, dripping with a poison fume, white fur, red eyes - red eyes -

Abruptly Kagome saw the reflection of her own red eyed face on the inside of her eyelids.

She shivered, felt a now-familiar heat uncoiling rapidly in her belly. Her breathing was shallow, her thoughts continuous, repetitive - her eyes snapped open, and she focused on Sesshomaru, saw him consumed with fury.

_For me - for me -_

Kagome had never known why she was so attractive to the youkai that followed her - she had been told, over and over, that she was the miko, the dangerous one, so attackers should avoid her. They flocked to her instead, and more than that - Inuyasha, Kouga, many who had kidnapped her - Sesshomaru…and now, Kinawai? What did he want? What was he doing?

She did not know that it was the female essence of her that called out to them, not just the rapture of her blood; she woke the maleness in them, their most possessive, desirous nature. Until this moment she had not realized that it was that nature which _she_ found so attractive about _them_; something inside her screamed with pride to hear those words, Sesshomaru's claim of her, in denial of her words to Kinawai not even five minutes before. Kagome brushed the back of her hand over her lips, and then again, harder. What was it Kinawai had said? A key…and a cage. But it was more than that, really - he had saved her life in a deliberate and profound way, more so than she had known.

_His own blood._

What did that mean - _really_? Why would he do such a thing?

"Sesshomaru - "

It was only a whisper; she couldn't help it.

Sesshomaru turned to look back at her and saw color in her cheeks, her lips red, bitten - bitten, her lips! The scent of her was the thickest thing in the air, and riding thin in it was the scent of her blood. Kagome saw his hand tighten, flexing, and then he was turning towards her, approaching her - she watched him fling Kinawai away, saw, heard an impact that left stone dust raining from the wall, far on the other side of the garden, and then suddenly he was in front of her.

"You belong to me, to me, Kagome. You are _mine_."

She had never heard his voice like this, harsh, deep - commanding. She could not answer him, couldn't say anything, but her scent answered for her; her body, always leaning in his direction, her eyes, smoky, glowing.

He bent over her and it was not really a kiss - it was too hot, too liquid; there was too much of him in it and she could not keep track of his hands. He held her back against the wall and let his tongue trace the line of her jugular; she couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

How could she have forgotten, even an for an instant? The taste of his kiss was fire and honey; she wanted…nothing else.

_Everything else_ -

His mouth was on her throat, and she felt his teeth dragging over her skin, the tingling, stinging sensation that accompanied them; a whine escaped her, a begging, pleading exhalation. He was growling for her, lapping at her throat, the smooth skin above her breasts that still bore the marks of his teeth.

She was responding exactly the way he wanted her to, but very quickly, Sesshomaru was growing angry at something else.

"Kagome. Kagome!"

She was shaken from the haze his touch had put her in ungently; his hand grasped her left arm, and she watched with a sort of suspended horror as he cut her wrist open with his claws. She could feel the pain, but it was at a distance; he was obviously not killing her, but -

"Bleed for me, Kagome. Bleed for me, and give me back what was taken from me."

He knelt in front of her and opened his haori; the red flow from her wrist began to coat the severed flesh where his arm had been.

"Sesshomaru - sama - "

She swayed, slowly. What was he doing? All her blood, all her blood was leaving, she could feel it, flowing out...a terrible feeling. It was so terrible that she did not notice the light beginning to grow between them, the purple power that slept in her blood. Threads of energy were rising from her blood on his skin, the drops still falling, even from where it had stained the ground; paler threads that went unnoticed were rising from the shikon no tama, responding to the presence of strong youkai energy.

Without warning, a golden radiance burst outwards, spreading through the light of her miko power. Suddenly, Kagome didn't feel dizzy any more. She could see, literally see, the flesh reforming, restoring itself, to Sesshomaru's arm. Little by little, and then more and more rapidly, bone, muscles, skin - all of it, perfectly formed, down to the dark, reddish stripes across his wrists.

"Sesshomaru - Sesshomaru, how - "

The light began to fade, and then disappeared. With an expression of supreme satisfaction, visible only in his eyes, Sesshomaru looked down at his arms, his hands - _both_ hands. He flexed the fingers he had missed for so long, and then carefully cut his palm. The thick blood spilled for only a moment, long enough for him to paint the wound he had opened in Kagome's wrist, and she saw, wide-eyed, her own flesh beginning to do what she had seen so many times, the skin visibly reaching for itself, sealing.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened only a little.

"My blood is still hot in you, Kagome."

Her eyes remained focused on her skin; he saw her fixation and allowed himself to pleased by it. If she wanted that - he was the one who would give it to her. The strength...the power.

"Kagome."

She looked up at him and allowed herself a little smile; even if she didn't know what she had done, or how, she had still helped him, kept her side of their bargain.

"In five hundred years, my own body would have repaired this damage; sooner, maybe, if I were to grow in power. But the wait is no longer necessary, and for that I must thank you."

She tried her question again.

"How - "

"A miko's blood is not only death to us, Kagome. Miko were meant to be keepers of the peace, not murderers; judge, but not always executioner. Many things have been lost to time...but not all. You sped the regeneration of my flesh a thousand, a hundred thousand times. Now - now - "

Just when she had begun to think herself safe, he reached for her, and now there was really no chance for her to escape. He held her against his bare chest and leaned down so they were standing nose to nose.

"I heard you - what you said. Not mine, you said. But if you want to be what you are - if you want the demon in you to be free...then you _will_ be mine. I will _take_ you."

"Sesshomaru - "

"Not now. You will say nothing now. Tonight, you will come down to eat the evening meal with me; tonight, you will tell me what it is you are thinking. Kagome, my Kagome, maybe you do know what you are asking me. Or maybe you are playing games, and you do not know it – but either way, you cannot avoid it now. I will come for you, and then you will belong to me. Already, my blood is in your veins. The time is close, close, and the sleeping beast in your flesh Awakens, never again to be silent."

The words had the sound of ritual; his mouth hovered over her lips for a moment, and she waited for the crashing of his passion, the incredible rush of heat.

He pulled away, and she saw that he was smiling - that he knew exactly what her thoughts had been.

* * *

While Kagome was dressing for dinner, there was a knock on her door, and then a small head peeked in around through a crack.

"Kagome-sama, I was sent to bring you down to eat. Are you ready?"

"I think so, Rin."

From the open door behind them came a sharp tone, almost a note, closer to a chime. Rin took two steps forward, and then turned back to look at Kagome.

"We should go now, then, Kagome-sama. Follow me!"

Sesshomaru was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at them. His gaze was intense, his features still, but Kagome sensed great movements just beneath the surface, just beyond her reach.

Breaking the stillness without warning, Kinawai's voice came suddenly from the open door across the hall from the stairs and they turned to him, both together, both with the same expression. Sesshomaru nearly let the snarl in his throat fall past his lips, but he looked instead at Kagome and a sudden wild, barely leashed feeling of tenderness left him teetering at the edge of madness.

"Come, come, you must have heard the chime, Sesshomaru. Kagome, will you also sit with us tonight?"

The more he spoke, the more the hungry tension faded out of the air, until Kagome could reach down and take Sesshomaru's hand, pulling him away from the stairs, across to the door, over the threshold, avoiding his stare.

"Yes. That was why I came down, Sesshomaru. Are - are you coming?"

She had begun to refer to him with a level of familiarity that had once infuriated him; now it was warmth. Suddenly pliant, he followed her, his eyes on her hand, in his hand, and Kinawai stepped into line behind them, hovering at the edge of a smile, bright-eyed with pent laughter. They sat, and ate together, and Kinawai watched the red lining of Kagome's cheeks when Sesshomaru looked at her, the wicked corners of smile that Sesshomaru could not keep off his face, the tightness of his hands on knife and glass.

Sesshomaru felt only two things moving inside him – the desire for Kagome, the burning sensation of her eyes on him and the scent of her blood - and rage, touching on Kinawai. He wanted blood, to stretch his claws and feel them deep in red flesh. He had not forgiven his _friend_ for the earlier transgression, that stolen kiss.

"Kinawai. Enough of this. Come now."

Kinawai looked up – he saw what Sesshomaru wanted in the more-than-tenseness of him, the fierce, quick movements.

"Now, Sesshomaru? You know it is not good to fight on a full stomach."

There was humor in his tone that Sesshomaru did not return; the last days every word out of Kinawai's mouth had been mocking. He allowed a dangerous smile to move his lips, his fingers moving sharply, beckoning, stubborn.

"No excuses, Cat. I will be waiting for you."

He darted around the doorway, down the hall, and Kagome exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Rin. Kinawai sighed very quietly, and tossed back the last of his wine, and stood.

"If you will excuse me, girl, Kagome. Sesshomaru….needs me."

He moved as quickly as Sesshomaru had, down the long hallway towards the many practice rooms, the halls of weapons. Left behind, Kagome followed with her eyes, fighting a strange urge to follow; strange, because bloody combat was indicated, and that was not something she would usually...enjoy. Beside her, Rin smiled with private pleasure.

"It is not often that someone comes who will agree to fight with Sesshomaru-sama – he must be very happy."

"Happy?"

Kagome was startled for only a moment, and then gave in to her compulsion.

"I am going to watch."

She had no doubt of Sesshomaru's strength, had seen the fluidity of his skill in combat test Inuyasha beyond his ability to defend; he had once been her only real fear, the thought that milked her tension and spiced the ends of her nerves. In his violence, in his carnivore cruelty, was his essence, the essence he said she shared, the essence he would awaken…when it was time.

She wanted to see this thing with her own eyes, breathe it, taste it. Then, maybe she could embrace it, release it – she had to stop, and steady herself against the wall, and breathe deeply. She looked up, and the wide, dark window across the hall from her reflected her own red eyes, and she laughed. Her feet gathered quickness; she ran the rest of the way, following the path sound told her they had taken.

Kagome had not noticed Rin come out behind her, watching with a strange, sad expression this unruly confirmation of the things she had overheard.

"So, it is true? Kagome-sama is youkai? I think...that is not fair."

There was sympathy for her, from the emptiness of the stirring air, and she sighed a very tiny sigh, and trotted down the hall in the other direction, looking back over her shoulder.

"Something is going to happen. Something…"

* * *

A/N: As promised, chapter 8! Next chapter: lemon! If there are reviews, sorry, I haven't seen them and it's quarter of 7 so I should sleep...but Please do Review! See how much faster it makes the chapters come? :D Oh, and the title of this chapter is from random Shakespeare!

Yay! Final Revisions, also complete! I'm on a roll today...R&R, pleasy please!


	9. IX: Blood and Fire

IX.

Blood and Fire

* * *

As soon as two pairs of bare feet touched the wooden floor of Sesshomaru's _dojo_, all good humor was suddenly forgotten. Kinawai felt deadly intent in Sesshomaru and responded to it fully, giving over to the beat of battle. In both of them, masterful instincts of combat swam up to take control of thought and movement, tightening muscles, sharpening razor-senses, adding an explosive edge to the glint of claws in the air.

Kinawai pulled off his haori and tossed it aside, flashed Sesshomaru an odd smile.

"You aren't afraid I'll damage your silk? You must be very confident."

Sesshomaru freed the snarl that had been lurking in his throat all day, let it wander over his face where it wanted to go, let the youkai rush up and flood his eyes, let the ravening Inu into his claws.

"Confidence has nothing to do with it. Now, Kinawai!"

He moved with the words, struck inwards, reaching down. The edge of his blow caught only the memory of skin as Kinawai turned and stepped backwards, but the reaching glint of his claws moved from another direction just as quickly, taunting, and then in again with more purpose. With the quickness of an indrawn breath, Kinawai was behind him, returning blows just as keen, drawing first blood.

A hiss of breath escaped Sesshomaru, displeasure at being caught unawares. Blood moved down his shoulder and Kinawai slipped away from him, watching with a shadow on his face. There was no play in Sesshomaru's movements, nothing but the fierce wail of his Blood, calling for blood. Carefully, he danced out of reach of the biting claws, heard the deepening of Sesshomaru's growl as the thick scent of blood doubled, washed the air and tinted it.

Kinawai sought to press his advantage, but Sesshomaru moved too fast, a liquid blur whose shadow did not come to rest. Kinawai felt the air move close to his skin the moment before the claws sank into his flesh. Pain lanced through his shoulder, a matching wound to the one he had first inflicted, and then dragged down his back as he turned to catch Sesshomaru's wrist and pull himself away from the sharpness.

They stood apart from each other, and panted. The air had become full of red scents.

Outside the doors, watching through the one that was open, Kagome, too, panted, watched and waited with half of her thoughts while the other half scrambled to make sense of herself.

_I should not be watching here, he did not mean for me to come or he would have said. But if he wants to know I am here, he knows. He does not say anything, he does not look at me…_

As she thought it, she felt a tingling heat spread outward through her chest and she parted her lips to breathe more deeply, tasting sugared metal in the air, oblivious of where such an enticing scent could come from. Her eyes followed the dance of combat, motions blurred with speed from one place to another, and then Sesshomaru was caught, wounded, held, and strength rose between the two combatants in pressure and eye-darkness and the sounds of deep-chest growls.

Focused muscles and pale skin came together, and she saw Sesshomaru strike a blow that stung, and drew a lash of snarl, a grimace, onto Kinawai's face. For a moment, he answered in kind, drew darker blood and let out a ragged breath, but Kagome had seen the shift and the thicker tang in the air reached deep, deep into her and clawed at the blistered eruption of strangeness that Sesshomaru had as yet only taunted with release.

Kinawai heard her sigh, turned to look and was distracted for a silent moment by the glazed darkness of her face, the near-surface glow that was rising beneath her skin. It was a moment too long. Sesshomaru took his chance, reached in with crushing force to open a wide slash across Kinawai's chest and then again, deepening the wound.

The breath flew out of him; by a bare margin, with the last moment of that breath, he dodged away from the third strike and stood back, retreating, touching the open saltiness of his wound. Blood welled to the surface and ran free like a spring. Kinawai stayed still, his green hakama red-stained.

The danger was more serious than he had expected - and he had expected danger. There was draining weakness despite the quickness of his body moving to replenish what he had lost, to seal his wounded flesh. Sesshomaru moved with him, stepping forward as he stepped back.

"Sesshomaru!"

Drawn back out of the Inu, Sesshomaru stared forward, shook his head for the sake of his vision and then shook bright, red pearls off his claws. Kinawai reached for breath and raised a questioning eyebrow, ignoring pain.

"Is this because of the miko, Sesshomaru, because of the woman? You are becoming dangerous - tell me, do you really seek my blood?"

Sesshomaru growled, lips lifting, exposing fangs.

"She should be mine, Sesshomaru - mine, by her blood. If she is miko, and youkai - there is a Dragon in her! It is _my_ house -"

"She is _mine! _Mine, Kinawai!"

"Ah, so you are willing to forget, then, that she was your brother's woman?"

A sound turned Sesshomaru's ears to the doorway, and his sight followed swiftly.

Kagome was watching them, while things moved across her face that did not belong there – he swept them all up into his knowledge, the hunger that matched him, desire, a depth of blank scarlet in her eyes that told him of her inner distress.

He smiled and stretched his fingers, feeling power. She was watching him, her tongue on her lips; he wanted her to _see_ his strength. He leapt forward, his fingers reaching -

Kinawai, too, had been watching her, sure that Sesshomaru was restored to his rational self. He knew with instant, irrevocable knowledge that he had been wrong. A hand that held terrible strength pinioned his throat, claws tightening inward, seeking the hot veins.

"Sesshomaru!"

This time it was a growl from his chest, forced around the closing strength that held his throat, and this time Sesshomaru flung him away, and remained bent, panting, mouth half-open as if he could not reach the air.

"Have you lost all restraint? I thought she was your brother's woman!"

He said it again, threw all the venom he could muster into his voice, but it was the Inu that answered him, the darkest voice in his experience.

"_No. Mine. __**Mine**_**.**"

Kinawai saw that Sesshomaru was no longer listening, that the stare of his red-glazed eyes was directed and that it was not for him.

_It _is _the miko. I have accomplished what you sent me for - Eldest. Will you tell me why, I wonder?_

But his thoughts were interrupted, because Sesshomaru was finally moving away from him, his steps uneven towards the door and the woman who stood watching. She was poised on the edge of one step and leaning into another.

"Kagome…Kagome."

Sesshomaru offered her name like worship, a shadow of sound, and she leaned into him, touched the red-streaked paleness of his skin and tilted backwards, deluged with scent, with darkness and the consuming fire of her own blood.

Sesshomaru caught her arm, but his fingers slid down to her wrist, over her palm and lost their grip on her fingers. For a moment, she stared at him, as something inside sought to wrench aside the cage of her flesh by pure will; then she fled, seeking the outside, the fresh air, the green,wet smells.

Sesshomaru's eyes followed her, and then turned back to Kinawai. His face revealed the broken halves of his thought, remembering the instinct of this moment, feeling the deep tug that wanted him to – to -

"She offers you the Chase, Sesshomaru. Are you going after her?"

Kinawai smiled slowly, offering the temptation, and Sesshomaru breathed deeply - in, out, in - the taste that came to him held a scent that promised fulfillment. Tense, tight, his head hung back for a long moment – a sound like a river of steel leapt out of his throat and darted around them as if seeking its place, then marked a shivering passage out into the night.

* * *

Outside, Kagome paused, hearing that sound, even while her hands were on the gates, opening them. The song of that howl came down out of the air and reached across her skin like a caress.

The ground muddied her bare feet, and it was cold, she knew it was cold, but where the biting wind reached in to touch her skin a slash of burning rose up to meet it, flushing her nerves with heat.

She felt …slow, as though she were moving through thick syrup where there was only air, but it was air that fought her, pressed on her. Halfway across the space of flat meadow in front of the gates, she fell, sinking to her knees and then forward onto her hands, head tilted first one way, then another. Glassiness covered her eyes as the deep change began in ways more painful than anything she had imagined, anything she had ever thought possible.

It was both an uncoiling sensation, and tightening, but the urge that filled her was to laugh, not cry out, because the fierce pleasure that such a change had come on her was almost greater than the pain.

_Everything is heavy, my robe, my skin…so heavy, my skin…_

Somehow, she stood, but abruptly Sesshomaru was there beside her, pulling on ties and parting the silk, dropping the sheen of burgundy, the luster of black into the mud. The first moment she was only grateful, feeling weight drop off her shoulders and leave her flushed skin bare to the rush of air. Even then, she did not really know what it was he would do to her; even when he enticed her to his grasp and breathed the pulse in her throat, drew his tongue across it.

She sighed, a low sound, a pleasured sound, and he tilted his head back, and back, and back, grinning his delight, until the moonlight reflected off the sharp points of his fangs, until he swallowed the light and felt it flush all the darkness to the surface. A leisurely breeze passed over his face, dragging out the edges of his smile, and the wet rustle of leaves penetrated the veil over his senses. When he looked forward again, Kagome was gone, and he had not even felt her slip out of his hands.

He followed, and found she had loosed herself like a fleeing arrow, inviting his pursuit with the richness of her scent, the collapsed tendrils of her consciousness, the purity of her desire.

She left footprints in the soft mud, crossed over the flowering green and under the dark edge of the woodland, mingling with the night beneath the trees, the rich silence.

Faster than was possible, faster than any human could move, she moved, but it was not fast for him and he followed at her heels, reaching, dragging his fingertips, the tips of his claws, over the leaping paleness of her skin.

Blood scent from the thin scratches moved him forward until he was in front of her, to catch her and hold her lightly, and she struggled with unsuspected strength, fought the heat-lightning that erupted wherever his fingers touched, struggled until he turned her arms behind her back and her own strength fought against her. Tenderly, he ran his teeth over her throat and she fell quiet for that moment, eyes widening, mouth open, reaching.

Her fingers tightened against his skin, tightened until he pulled away from her and nipped at her heaving breasts, their taut nipples - a reprimand. The low breath of her pleasure dripped in his ears, and the pain that had touched him became recognizable in the continuing touch of her hands, the careless rending of her fingertips.

Diamond-sharp claws had bled him;he stared for a long moment, fascinated, and saw the scent of his blood go to her head like a drug. His eyes followed her as she stepped away, and swayed, and opened her mouth to the moonlight while strange things happened to her; beneath her skin, muscles moved like ropes, and even her skin was changing, seemed thinner, almost translucent.

It was pain; it was pleasure. Kagome felt the rising of a tide in her innermost self, beyond her skin, deeper than her body. She was reaching an edge that her power-wrought bondage could not contain; Sesshomaru saw it in her face, had felt it in her skin. He saw agony move in her expression, and the impossible contortions of her body, her shivering flesh, and took one step towards her. As if alerted by a sudden tug she leapt away from him, moving more swiftly now than before, running, running. He came beside her, and reached for her again.

She escaped his hands like oiled silk, a blur of pale skin in the darkness, but Sesshomaru smiled, always faster, in front of her so swiftly she almost fell trying to avoid him – but he was there, too, to catch her, and he did not let go.

Very quickly, the rain was suddenly pouring on them, drenching, cold, and the wind was high, pushing the clouds across the sky. It ran over them completely, sliding between the broad leaves of the wide-spaced forest they had come to like a river – it washed the blood from their skin and the shock of coldness brought Sesshomaru back to some small part of his thinking self, but no such return was possible for Kagome.

He saw new tightness in her muscles now, sharper angles in her face that had not been there before; her eyes stayed flat and red. The downpour stopped – swiftly, he pinned her, grateful for the moss, the lack of mud – he held her as she tested growing strength, restive, mouth open, and he reached in to kiss her and lost himself finally when she took his kiss and gave it violence, her violence, and made it her kiss.

He cut his lips on fangs that were not his own, and she licked them. The deeper wetness of her body called to him, engorged him; there was no more waiting, and he was not capable of gentleness.

She had been waiting for him for many days without knowing it, but _knowing_ no longer mattered. Wanting had kept her awake and in this submitted place, there was only want, only the instinct that moved her. She had never had a lover, but there was nothing she needed to know that her rising Blood did not give her. Her arms slid up his arms, down his shoulders, down his back; she opened herself and made impossible sounds, and felt his panting breath hot on her throat. The words came to him and he did not know if she would hear them, but he felt the soothing of her heartbeat and the exultant flash of his own desire.

"Open your eyes; hold your breath."

Teeth met in her shoulder, in her neck, at the joining of both, caused a flood in her thoughts, in her body. She was aware suddenly of two pleasures, her own self, the depth of fire he touched in her, and made liquid, and beneath it the pleasure _he_ felt in _her_ - deeper, darker, smoother. A white haze that broke free from all her nerves drew cries out of her that vibrated against his teeth. Sesshomaru's hands held her with strength that should have crushed her, that cut her skin, but it was only an accent of sensation. He was pulling her up with him, up to him, but the deep, deep pain was building again and she moved away, stood naked and stumbling and watched with exaggerated attention the red mouths of cuts in her skin move together, and close, and she laughed. There was still a feeling of incompleteness, no deadening of her desire, no change in that spreading, crawling heat – she felt her pulse in the deep place he had touched, and wanted him – but again, there was pain, a red flood feeding the darkness, and she threw back her head and howled.

Sesshomaru stood, watched her with glittering eyes that accepted exactly what he saw, the proof, the truth of his hope. Deadly laughter spun itself into the howl he raised to answer her. Inu-song rose between them and mingled under the moonlight, haunting in its high tones, its vaporous melody.

She was really running now, the Awakening full upon her. Now, he would Chase. A stranger had looked out of her eyes, testing its new life, aware of its birth, its release, but uncertain. He had raised the Inu out of the Dragon, had felt both in her and knew which one would win; she was his, his chosen mate, and Kagome, too, felt the difference, still too deeply succumbed to her own Blood to truly acknowledge the fluid fullness in it, lighter than the Dragon heat.

Kinawai had spoken the truth; Sesshomaru knew this. Only females of Dragon blood bore the holy power; some few in other bloodlines, carrying an ancient drop of that heritage, had brought miko to the surface in themselves but the consequences were often devastating.

_But a Dragon - she will change for her mate, strip away the other layers of her nature, if that mate is strong enough. And I am Strong - _

He had heard the Inu in her voice; he knew that it was true.

Hungry for her, speeding his footsteps, he turned his attention back to the object of his Chase. Kagome had come to the border-river that held back the human lands from Sesshomaru's sight, and she did not pause, leapt up and across and came back to the ground running, still in her stride.

Others took notice of the wild scents, the moving of powers and an intoxicating heat, but Kagome was unknown, though a beacon of wantonness, and Sesshomaru was terror. The strength of his claim overrode any hint of a chance; frustrated arousal brightened the eyes of many males in many dens nearby, but no one dared enter the Chase and compete with the Inu Lord. Faced with the scent of his strength, the rumors of weakness were like a puff of smoke blown away in a strong wind.

At the edge of the trees that moved up into the west, Sesshomaru caught up with her. This time when he took her, and sank his teeth into the soft wound he had made before, she climbed his body and pressed her aching new fangs into his flesh. He felt the parting of his skin, and then a blackout of sensation wherever he touched her. She felt the tenseness in him, the rupture of desire, and then building pressure, something that came from below the memory of pain, and restored it, and moved through it, and left completeness behind.

Sesshomaru leaned forward again, took her right nipple between his teeth and pulled gently. He heard a breath-laden sound, and felt a pulse of heat in response. His mouth followed the lines of her body, the curves that led beneath her breasts and down across the plane of her abdomen, quivering with her breath. In another moment he was on his knees in front of her, breathing the wet scent of her body from its center. It washed over him like a wave, suddenly stronger.

The shreds of control, of thought, that had allowed him his torment faded away under the influence of that scent. Suddenly, he found himself with not only scent, but taste; the salt-sweet flesh under his tongue was soft, lush with her wetness. Hungrily, he sucked at the softness, let his tongue wander through her folds. Kagome's uncertain will was able to restrain her for only a moment; then her hands were on his head, her fingers in his hair, new claws tightening in the strands, tightening and releasing as he sped the motion of his tongue.

She let out a deeper cry, lower, richer, and he pulled himself up her body. He kissed her then, and there was no tenderness in it, no love, not even passion - only lust, harsh, scalding; his fingers were moving where his tongue had been and she heard herself moaning, could not restrain the sound.

_My - body - is - _

"Please, please, _please -"_

The words, amidst the babble of sounds she was making, gave the redness in his eyes an extra sheen. He felt her body spasm, tightening, heard her louder cry, and allowed himself the pleasure he had wanted for so long - so long, how long had it been, lusting after his own -

Immediately, powerfully, he entered her; in another moment, she was moaning again, louder now, the pain that had rippled over her skin completely replaced by a more-than-equal surge of pleasure. Sesshomaru's lovemaking was like his kiss, empty of everything but lust, possession, need. The fury of it would have astonished her, if she had had time for astonishment, but her body had taken over, moving quickly into rhythms it had always known.

The first climax overtook her almost before she noticed; she ceased to be coherent, lost herself in the tightness of her own flesh, the nerve-raking sensations. When she could breathe again, she realized that he had stopped moving, that he was looking down at her.

_That smile - that smile -_

Her body gave an involuntary internal twitch in response to her thought, and she felt him shift over her, realized in that moment that he was still inside her, still hard, that she had felt - _she knew she had felt_ - there was another, deeper contraction; she could not contain her moan. Did he really want her…that much? She felt him pushing himself up farther and rocked against him gently, let her eyes flutter closed. Her body was doing things again, things she didn't want to think about. His voice sounded, too close to her ear, his breath too hot on her skin.

"I stopped, because I thought you would need rest. Apparently, I am wrong, miko."

"Name's Kagome. Say it."

She did not cease her rocking; Sesshomaru could feel the grasping of her fingertips, the thin scratches they left behind. Did she think he was finished with her, sated?

"Kagome."

Very suddenly, his body had taken control of her, holding her down, his mouth near her ear again. His thrusts were sharp, hard, almost too hard; her eyes were shut tight, her mouth open, and then he said it again.

"Kagome."

And again.

"Kagome. Kagome - Kagome - Kagome -"

She closed her eyes; her world was reduced to sound and touch; the sound of her name in that husky voice, her name and his need, together; his breath hot on her ear, the feeling of him inside her better than before if that was possible, better than anything. The second time he said her name, she moaned. The third time, she whimpered. After that she screamed, and her scream did strange things to him; she felt a hot pulse, a new urgency in his thrusts.

Light snapped over them at the edge of his pleasure, but it was not really light, dripping from her torn skin, dissolving details, holding them together even beyond the shudders that follow desire. By the time it subsided, only tiredness filled Sesshomaru, almost suddenly, weariness down to his soul. Claiming the woman had relaxed the tension of her presence, but as he turned to her, he saw quite clearly that she was no longer 'woman' at all.

She lay limply, and he touched her gently, felt movement beneath her skin and saw in her face that something still changed, was still unsettled. He brushed dark hair away from her cheek, and did not notice it fall away in his hand. It was damp, and cold, but he pulled Kagome against his body, and breathed deeply, and dozed. After a while, he stood, and gathered her up, and turned towards home.

* * *

A/N: And I present to you...the lemon! well, the first lemon, anyway. some blood, some explaining, some citrus flavored tastyness - what more do you need? mwaha. So Much More. coming soon: Inuyasha, Kikyou, and Why You Don't Piss Off Sexually Repressed Youkai (who are no longer sexually repressed.) HA. Much thanks to: caitibug323 (sorry for the wait, but, SEE! one lemon, as promised :D); kitsune diva(much thanks for your praise); wrecklessangel (wheee! intensity! intensity!); lunarcat12 - twice!(yes, we will shortly begin to see all the interesting things our beloved s'homaru-chan knows...and what he might not! oooo...); Sugar0o- also twice!(and thanks for your concern by the way - also, I would've marked it complete except the revisions aren't done yet, and it might take a while...i've put posting the sequel on hold until I finish posting this one); Kouga's Older Woman(he had PLENTY of energy, see? aww, but now he's sleepy...HA!); and...phew! I think that's all of you! Now, I am going to MAKE MYSELF finish chapter 21 of Ukime - onward!

Whew! Toasty! Final Revisions, complete...R&R! :D


	10. X: Those Who Stand On The Sky

X.

Those Who Stand On The Sky

* * *

The scent of sun-warmed furs woke Kagome, trembled in her nostrils with unexplainable freshness and clarity. The very air had its own scent, a blue scent; she could almost taste the richness of some distant fruit perfume, lingering in the stillness. Behind her there was pine-tinted warmth, a richness of musk that screamed 'male' at her awakened senses. She opened her eyes, squinting against the brightness of a flaming yellow sun, and then she opened them wider, staring around her at the brilliance of what looked like a whole new universe.

There was comfortable warmth pressed behind her and draped over her. She opened her eyes very slowly and, then sucked in a deep breath. She had wakened to a world of far brighter colors than her memory allowed for. She squinted at the bright flare of the sun, and reached out to touch the soft tawny furs – and stopped.

She felt, faintly, a sensation of shock growing in her at her heightened perceptions - and then the shock was suddenly total and complete, because there were claws on her hands, claws on her fingers, and she had never been the one with claws. Her other hand, too. And the sharpness in her mouth was now explained; the sound of the breathing earth was explained, the ripe scent of a new world – all of it was the same, the same as it had been , but _she was changed_!

Memory flooded her, flushed her cheeks and weakened her limbs. One of Sesshomaru's hands tightened around her waist, and she felt a hitch in her breathing. Ecstasy beyond imagining, in those hands! Her fingers came up slowly, traced the only tender spot on her whole body. His teeth had left deeper prints in her than his claws, but all she really remembered was the fire of his presence and the wanting that had filled her.

Panic washed through her blood like poison. She had to stay still, had to be calm, had to not think all the thoughts that were touching her. She did not remember every touch, every movement, but she remembered - she remembered -

_No, not now, not those thoughts!_

She did not remember coming back to the fortress, but it was well within Sesshomaru's ability to bring her here – he had done it before.

The thought of him sent a renewed tingle fleeing through her skin, and she turned just a little, darted a glance out of the corner of her eye. He was the warmth behind her, and the complete awareness of this fact made her aware of their skin touching in many places, the strength of the legs wrapped around hers, the arm draped loosely across her middle. Carefully, she gripped the edge of the furs, again, her eyes tracked the glittering passage of her claws; more delicate than Sesshomaru's, her claws, but no less lethal - she could tell that already.

Almost immediately, as she shifted in the bed, Kagome felt his eyes on her, and knew he had been awake. His hands slid over her skin, and she became suddenly aware of her own nudity, of his, and flushed; his voice was expressive, possessive, as he spoke against her shoulder. If she had been afraid of awkwardness, there was none, except in her flush, her sudden desire to bolt from this bed -

"Beautiful Inu, you are mine now. Did you know that you are Inu, now, that the Dragon caged in your blood changed even as you changed?"

She felt the truth in his words, appreciated the difference of her own feeling inside that truth. The Inu was essential predator, with only the conscience of the hunter, and she felt that moving in her skin; in the beginning, there had been _other_.

_But, a Dragon? He talks like I should know these things - _

"When you say Inu, Sesshomaru-sama, there is a growl inside me -"

She had to stop speaking, because he was laughing - he, Sesshomaru, laughing! She could feel the vibration against her back, hear it, low, rough against her ears.

"Do not call me _Sesshomaru-sama_, Kagome. Such formality…it is no longer needed between us."

"Then - Sesshomaru. But - please."

"_Please_?"

The word held promise, left his lips slowly. Momentarily, she heard herself - _"Please, please, please -" _- her flushed darkened to cherry red, but she swallowed her embarrassment and forced her voice to come out steady.

"Sesshomaru, I can _feel_ that it is true, when you say Inu to me - but when you say _was_ _Dragon - _what does that mean?"

"There was a dragon-spirit in you, the beast of your youkai soul - but you are _mine_, Kagome, and I am stronger than you."

She shivered, and he felt it, and laughed again.

"Yes, I am stronger. The Dragon could not resist the Inu; the _many _of your nature have become one. But you are also miko, my dangerous mate - and woman no longer."

_Mate - !_

She felt his teeth in her skin again, deep in the mark of the night before, and the thoughts, the panic that had begun to flee across her thoughts again dissolved in a flashback - _his hands, on her skin, his mouth - the electric lashing of his tongue, his penetration - _

She writhed in his hands, and he held her; even the new strength of her revealed youkai flesh was not a match for him, and when she was still again he lapped at the drops of redness that had spilled over onto her skin, and smiled against her. He was almost lightheaded with the fulfillment of his desire; he did not yet know what he would do with her, what having her in his life would mean, but...he was willing to make the experiment - the test. Not once in his life had he ever backed down from a challenge.

"I am going to go downstairs, and find Kinawai, and face his laughter – and then you must come down, so that he sees how beautiful you are, and becomes furious…because you are mine."

_I know he tormented me for the sake of provoking me – but still, I know that there is want in him; he is as alive as I am!_

"I am - yours."

He stared at Kagome strangely for a long moment, both seeing confusion and feeling it, even though her voice was flat. He was more aware, now that he was more awake - he could feel the bond that had been fastened between them, tightening itself into an unbreakable cord.

"Yes, you are mine, the mate I chose. Didn't I tell you this would be so? Mine, my Kagome, my mate."

The tense, strange look on his face was broken by a fierce smile that warmed her unexpectedly. When he had said it the first time, panic had threatened, but now, she felt…oddly comforted. She had already decided, hadn't she, that she was never going back?

_Not to either place that was mine. So - so why not? Why not…be his?_

"Does that mean that you, Sesshomaru...are you mine?"

The words came out of her mouth slowly; he looked at her, and they did not know that their eyes were echoes, each bearing the expression of the other's face.

"I will only be yours if you _want_ me, Kagome."

It was not a question of desire, and she knew it, but he slid past her, and stood, and turned his face away while he dressed so she could not see the turmoil of his features. This was the worst thing that could be - to care for her. To care for her, and not be free, even now - but he could not help it. He had listened to her dream terrible dreams for twenty days of fever; he had pressed his own blood into her veins, when it was clear that nothing else would be enough to save her. He had meant to take her - of course he had; there was no other way to break the bonds of Power. But -

_My mate? My mate. Yes, I see. Now, I see. I know why you came, Kinawai, why _she _sent you._

But at the moment, he was more concerned with Kagome, who said nothing in answer to his words, the half-question in them. He did not know that she fought against a storm whose beginning was the knot of her feeling, could not know that guilt came close to sweeping her away. She was restrained by the river of Blood that lay behind her, passable in only one direction: the way she had already crossed.

* * *

Sesshomaru was dressed before Kagome had even left the bed, and then he left her alone with her thoughts.

It was very slowly that she crossed the room to the open wardrobe, and let her fingers pass randomly across the many robes.

This time, she did not jump when the door opened, seemingly by itself. There was tension now, in the presence that before, had been laughing, and Kagome felt a sudden pang, like a premonition.

"No - please, don't treat me any differently now. I - my body is different, but -"

She whipped around suddenly, and pushed the door of the wardrobe open all the way; there was a polished silver mirror on the inside door. Slowly, she unwound the fur that she had wrapped around her naked skin, and peered at her reflection with wide eyes, reached out with one hand to touch -

Her hair looked…very strange - the top layers all purest white with a silver sheen, and beneath, some of it still black - the color it had been, before -

_Before_.

And her eyes!

Inu -eyes, golden eyes, glowing youkai eyes!

It was still her face, but - the angles were strange, the planes of her cheeks changed, the angle of her eyes; there was sharpness, now, in the line of her jaw, and crimson stripes, like tattoos, or brush paint, highlighting the raised curves of her face.

_I look like me, but - _

Tentatively, she smiled at herself in the mirror, felt the fangs in her mouth gently with her tongue, peered at them.

Behind her, there was laughter again. She flushed, but smiled, happy that such little things, at least, could stay the same, and pulled out a deep blue robe, the sleeves and hem embroidered in paler blue waves.

"Will you help me with this, please?"

The silk smoothed easily over her skin, and Kagome moved her arms carefully into the sleeves, holding her claws away from the delicate thread. As the last tie was smoothed, the door burst open, and Kagome saw the girl, Rin. She stood staring for a moment, the expression on her face almost confused, almost frightened - and then she ran in and grabbed Kagome tightly around the knees.

"Kagome-sama, you must forgive Rin - but it is not fair, it is not fair! Why - why does _Kagome-sama_ get to be youkai?"

Kagome saw something like trauma on Rin's face, the first distress, the first _anything _besides a smile she had ever seen there, and understood suddenly what it must be like for this girl, a human girl living with Sesshomaru, protected by him, but human - always human. She felt a deep sensation that told her the girl was right – it was not fair.

"I am sorry, Rin. I…am sorry."

After a moment the girl stepped away, shaking her head, wiping away tears only half shed.

"It is not your fault, Kagome-sama. Rin will - _I_ will be fine. But you should go downstairs, if you are ready - Sesshomaru-sama is waiting for you."

"Ah, is he? Well, will you bring me down, Rin? I don't know my way around, yet - "

And she swayed a little, feeling a sudden pressure - as if, as fast as events had been moving around her, it was not fast enough.

_Why - why is that? Why could that be?_

* * *

Kinawai had been waiting for Sesshomaru since he had felt the presence of him slam back into the fortress, just before dawn. Contrary to the Inu's expectations, he watched him come down the stairs with a _very _strange look in his eyes, but he did _not _laugh.

"Was it a good Chase, Sesshomaru?"

And Sesshomaru answered him with a smile that expressed many things, some good, some beyond judgment.

"A good Chase, Kinawai - "

His smile changed as quickly as it had appeared, became not a good expression, and in a moment he flashed across the floor, his hands pinning Kinawai to the wall.

"You have done what you came for, do you understand? - and now I know what that is. She is my _mate_, not only youkai – but she _is_ youkai."

He took a step back, and released his grip on Kinawai's haori, his throat.

"I know what you were doing, Kinawai - but if you touch her now, I will kill even you, my friend - my _father's_ friend, without hesitation."

Thinking of her and battle in the same breath caressed his face with bloody tenderness, and he took a step away and stood waiting, watching. He ignored Kinawai completely, until Kagome stepped beyond the wall that hid her at the top of the stairs and stepped down them, holding Rin's hand.

"Is she not beautiful, Kinawai, this Inu who is my mate?"

And he laughed, a low sound that was triumph, and possession, and pleasure in them both, and Kinawai could do nothing but agree, watching Kagome come down the stairs. Her eyes were gilded now and her skin covered strength, but could not hide it. White-platinum softness over-matched the remnant darkness of her hair.

As a few days passed, and he watched the final movements of her Awakening spend themselves and leave behind the finished flesh, Kinawai walked with her and spoke with her more than he had been able to before, still observing, still uncertain. But the changes were both more and less than he expected; she was different in ways that did not lessen her strangeness. It was something in her feelings, in her expression; he thought that perhaps her heart was still human. It would be hard for her, if that was so.

He answered her questions carefully, always mindful of the distance between them, more careful now that he had seen the lack of control she evoked in Sesshomaru, the absence of restraint. She did not seem to notice; perhaps she, too, was somehow aware of the message of danger. He smiled widely, and looked out towards a sky that neared its final clearing. It would not be long now; winter was coming, and there would be Presentation, now, of this new _female_ Sesshomaru had found.

_But he is stronger than I thought, to overpower the Dragon in her so quickly, so easily. I wonder, is she still a miko? Can she still touch that most dangerous power? _

The shikon no tama still flickered bright and deadly around her throat, a cunning lure for those foolish enough to swallow it.

_Perhaps - perhaps I do not want to find out._

* * *

Inuyasha finally stopped running when he came to a river he could not easily leap across and he ended up to his hips in cold, clear water. It washed the scent of Kikyou away from his claws and fingertips, the scent of her flesh-not-flesh. It always tore him when he smelled it, ripping him in an unfathomable place that he had not even known before. In the deep forest, when he was alone, sometimes his thoughts came back to him, memories of other places and times when he had not felt so broken, so lost to himself and the craving urges of his bloody soul.

_She_ was there in all of those visions, the perpetrator of a horrible crime. _She_ had loved him, monster though he was, and filled him full of hope that had ended in pain.

He could remember _someone_ saying that it would all end in pain, that _his kind_ were not meant to live. So unnatural, so dangerous, so damned.

He pulled his hands from the water, clean now, but even the river could not take away the scent of ashes and death that had always been like a signal of terror, a warning.

_She_ had been mortal, though, fragile, with skin so thin that the scent of her beating heart was always a temptation to his thrusting senses. The scent of his _someone_ memory was all over this place…he knew, suddenly, who that someone was, felt it with the remnants of sanity that had been left by Kikyou and her terrifying light. Brother! He remembered his brother, and the first fight alone, the taste of his own blood that had awoken the golden edge of his sword and given him the name at its heart: Tetsusaiga.

He had almost forgotten about the sword. There was a reason, a trembling of pain when panic first struck him and tore into the meaty edge of the _time before_. The time before madness, the time before Kikyou had returned, tempting with darkness and the flame of forbidden eyes. Kikyou - Kikyou - Kikyou -

He was aware even in madness that those who could not gain power the right ways turned to the wrong; he bore the responsibility for her death, but she had come to him afterward…she had come to him often and then, the last time - blueness. It all came down to that edge of memory, the edge beyond which everything was lost, but he knew that when Kikyou found him again, as she always did, she would not be pleased. He had run away from her promise of blood, and that was all she had left him - all she wanted from him.

On the other side of the river he climbed up the bank, staining his hands with red mud and the scent of clean earth, covering Kikyou's scent and the freshness of the water both. The beat of the forest was soothing, stroking over something that might once have been tears, bubbling inside him. Too much focus made his head hurt when he tried fighting against the haze that liked to fill him. He had to attack it every moment, without hiding in the protection of a sword or claws, bare and with no chance of pleading with this enemy.

_He_ was his own enemy, and the pain was more than pain. In secret places that he hid from his own eyes, he screamed at the world, at the woman who had done this to him, and at the _woman_ he had loved. He was not like them; he would never be like them again.

The first person who was able who found him would kill him, and the bright spark that had first dawned in him, seeking a way from madness, would be silenced in a heartbeat: by sword stroke, or arrow, or power, or flame. Not even friends would hesitate. He had heard the huntress calling once, the one who had been his friend - but her voice was soft as the archer to the deer, and he was not a dumb beast, to so quickly or easily led to her hand.

But now, none of that mattered - now, he was stalking a scent that contained both life and death. The closer he came, the more it seemed _she _tormented him - why had _she _come so close to him, why was _she _here? There was not enough of his thoughts left for him to understand why she might have come so close - so close, so strong her scent - but it was as if she was wearing a perfume that spoke to him of hate and the essence of an old jealousy.

He _knew_ that scent, that essence; without warning, he came to the place where _her_ scent was strongest, and knew it then for what it was, knew why the fragrance that had once been his comfort now bore a sickening edge.

The scent of strong mating had penetrated the whole forest, darkening the dawn, and now he stood where that mating had occurred. The scents were enough; the sight of the ground, torn up, the depressions in the moss where flesh had been pressed were like salt rubbed into the wound.

Inuyasha felt the taste of something hated and something light on his tongue, sickness rising in his deepest self from the demon-wrath of remembrance. Power rose in his eyes like water into a jug; the rolling tide of the howl that came from his lips shook his whole body, tormented him with shaking and threw him to the ground with tears and pain, tears and rage, tears and quietness.

He was burning, now, burning without pause, and his loss was complete. _She _belonged to hate. _She _was light and light could not belong to hate! How could this be - he could not let this be!

His mind was consumed with blood and bones; behind them was a memory of blue terror.

With just as little warning as this first unpleasant surprise, a second one crept up behind him.

"Inuyasha, do you see what she has done to you? To betray you - and with your own brother…"

Kikyou. He stayed where he was; a second, sharper howl burst out of his lungs.

"Inuyasha, you are disappointing me. How can it be so hard to take one human life? You are a demon, and that girl is powerless before that puppy face of yours."

The only voice he well remembered had faded into hardness. He turned, and turning there was once more blueness, pain - all things dissolved into the wash of air that was suddenly thick, and pressed even in his mind for silence.

"When you see her, you know you will hate her. You know the scent of these woods, Inuyasha, you know that hate has been here, that she has betrayed you."

He was shivering on the ground before her, shaking on his knees.

"You know what to do, Inuyasha, you know what to do."

Burgundy waves of fear reared up in his flesh, conquered his eyes, lengthened his claws, drew jagged stripes across his cheeks.

"This time, I am coming with you; and I will take them from her, the last of the things she possesses...that are mine."

* * *

A/N: Mwaha! Chapter 10 - and you know, while I was typing it, I could have sworn it was chapter 9! What's with that? Oh well...here it is, anyway - poor Kagome, all confused and disoriented and NOW: Coming Soon: The Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen! Much thanks to Saorise Driscol for review - strange and interesting are both a plus in my book! Also thanks to Kouga's Older Woman: don't worry, I just introduced Kinawai! i can't kill him off now! :D But seriously, he's got some balls, tempting Sesshomaru like that...ahh, but he's learned his lesson, right? And also thanks, Akatsuki'sBloodyNekoNinja - Tada! Next chapter! And finally, also thanks to lunarcat12! Poor Rin...but EVERYONE can't be a demon, that would just be silly. More chapters soon, everyone, for currently I do indeed work on 11!

Me=spoiling you with rapid chapters! you=Please Review!

Final revisions – done! Ha! R&R!


	11. XI: Of Woman, And Her Charge

XI.

Of Woman, And Her Charge

* * *

For the first few days, Sesshomaru allowed Kagome to do what she had been doing _before_ - resting, sleeping - more than he had ever seen anyone, human or youkai, sleep; she came downstairs for mealtimes with Rin, bathed in the basement springs...and she avoided _him_ like the plague. He would not have made the comparison himself; he had never encountered human sickness, was barely aware of such possibilities. What he was aware of was her distance, even when she was undeniably close; what he was aware of was the continuous tug of her presence, an internal tug that told him of her well-being, her solitary anxiety, and the occasional spark and flutter when he was close to her, not only in his thoughts, but in flesh.

The fifth day after he had changed her, he came down the stairs intentionally earlier than was his custom, and interrupted her evening meal with Rin.

The girl only looked up at him and smiled a milky smile; he smelled honey in her cup, dairy thickness. Beside her, Kagome was looking down at a bowl of rice and a plate of sliced fruit, her face wrinkled in something like confusion, and then...something else, as her eyes turned towards him. He was more confused, however, than she was. What...was she eating? Rin's food? Why would she do that?

"Kagome. You - "

"Sesshomaru-sama, Kagome-sama is not eating!"

His eyes widening just the tiniest bit, Sesshomaru turned so that instead of Kagome, his focus was on Rin. It was the first time in his memory she had interrupted him - not that he truly minded, but it was more than unexpected. He saw her freeze under his eyes, her mouth still partly open, and spoke softly, knew there was no need to chide.

"Rin."

She folded into herself like a crushed origami figure, and, seeing that, he raised an eyebrow. She had given him useful information, and truly - he did not want her cowering in fear of his every word.

"Rin is sorry, Sesshomaru-sama -"

She stood and took a step towards him, bowed. Sesshomaru noted Kagome's attention on them, her features thoughtful as she took in this interaction.

"Rin, I have told you to speak correctly."

She stiffened and stood straighter; he would not have believed it possible. He felt a faint twinge of amusement.

"_I_ am sorry, Sesshomaru-sama-"

He nodded once.

"Better. But you do not need to apologize, Rin. It is good for you to tell me this."

As easily as that, her anxious expression faded and was replaced by a beaming grin.

"Are you finished, Rin?"

She nodded.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Then go now. I will send Kagome to you tomorrow; she and I have things to do tonight."

Rin skipped away happily, said her goodbye to Kagome, just a word over her shoulder as she was passing through the doors of the Hall. Sesshomaru stood still where he was, looking at Kagome; there was tension in her, and that was understandable, but there was also...

He allowed himself a smile and was rewarded with her shudder as she turned to look at him.

"Kagome."

"Sesshomaru -"

Her voice was hesitant.

"Why don't you eat?"

He did not bother to ask if it was true; Rin would not, could not lie to him. He saw defiance, deferral, and then defeat cross her face, and she shrugged, stood and brushed out the wrinkles in her robe.

"I don't know. I just...can't. I've been trying, so Rin wouldn't worry...she seemed so upset, at first, and then..."

"She knows better than you do, to tell me. Kagome - "

There was an odd inflection in his voice.

"You are _youkai_ now. You cannot eat human food."

She looked at him, wide-eyed, and took an unsteady, rattling breath.

"Human - food - "

"Yes. These - plants. They will not sustain you, Kagome, will do nothing to sate your hunger."

He saw her swallow, her eyes shifting.

"But - Sesshomaru, Shippou always ate whatever I was having, he even insisted on it. And Inu - Inuyasha - "

She tried and failed to keep the tremble out of her voice. Why was it so hard, just to say his name? Sesshomaru's voice gained a sharpness she had not heard there since she had come to this place, since she had begun to accept the strangeness that was - him.

"Inuyasha is half-breed, half human. Shippou - that is your kit?"

"My - yes. I suppose he's mine."

"Kitsune...they are not like Inu in all ways. Some ways, yes; but even if he eats human food you must have recognized certain other...hungers in him."

"Well - "

She had never said anything to anyone - of the time she had gone to the river, seen Inuyasha, showing Shippou how to wash out the bloody carcass of his latest kill. What had it been? She didn't remember. But she remembered the stains on their faces, the bloody meat in their hands - Shippou's smile. It had reminded her that Shippou was youkai; that despite how sweet and childlike he was, he was not _human_. And Inuyasha -

_No. Stop. Don't - _

Her thoughts cut themselves off, looped around and returned to Sesshomaru's question.

"Well - yes - but - "

"No, Kagome. If you do not eat, if you have no blood, no flesh, you will die. Youkai are not like humans."

Her eyes widened, dilated, that beautiful golden color almost washed out in the expansion of her pupils.

_Youkai are not like humans_.

She blinked.

_I'm not human. Not - _

Swallowed.

_Youkai are not like humans. Not like - I'm not - like -_

She took a deep breath, and found that suddenly Sesshomaru was in front of her, his eyes scanning her face, his fingers, delicate, on her cheeks.

_I am - _not –_ human!_

"Sesshomaru - "

Kagome stopped herself from speaking as she heard her voice begin to break, but he waited, crouched in front of her, one hand on her face. There was something - a question? - in his face, and she felt his fingers on her lips then, very faint, impossibly gentle.

In a way that she knew she would never be able to explain, she was...comforted.

_By Sesshomaru. _

Suddenly, instead of crying, she wanted to laugh.

"Sesshomaru, will you - teach me?"

There was definitely a question in his expression now.

"_Teach_ you?"

There was more than a little of his remembered coldness in the words, but she knew, _knew_, that it was only a facade; that beneath the ice, he was all heat. The knowing broke part of his power over her. Confidently, she pushed forward. He had said it, hadn't he?

"Yes. To be - youkai."

He was silent, but he also had not moved. She was...encouraged.

"I am yours, you said. Who else...is there for me to ask?"

For a moment, he looked startled.

"You do not know. You do not know any of what it means. How do I -"

It sounded almost like he was talking to himself. He stood slowly; his eyes moved suddenly from her face, to her plate, and back to her face. Abruptly, he pulled her up from her seat and down the hall towards the great door.

"Sesshomaru, where are you taking me?"

"Hunting. You have never killed your own food, have you?"

"No, Inuyasha or Sango -"

"I did not think so."

He stopped just outside the door, looked down at her critically.

"However -"

So quickly, so easily that she didn't even know what he was doing, Sesshomaru stripped off three layers of Kagome's robes.

"Wha - outside?"

He stared at her oddly for a long moment, and she flushed.

"I thought - we were - hunting..."

As she finished speaking, what she must have been thinking clicked in Sesshomaru's thoughts.

"Ah - "

So that she could see it, because only she could see it, he smiled; before she knew it, her hands were reaching up for him, and he was untying another robe...

He wrapped it more tightly around her, tied it more tightly, and stepped away, pulling on her again, leading her through the gate.

"Did you think I would bring you into the forest dressed that way, Kagome? Or is it that you were too distracted by - lust?"

He made the word come out coldly but she had seen desire in his face - she had _felt_ it, his desire for her.

"It won't work. I know you - _want _me."

Her cheeks were heated, but the words were quite clear. She was not prepared for the casual caress of his eyes; she felt suddenly as if they were weighing her, those eyes, assessing her -

"Yes. Tonight, you will sleep with me, _Kagome_."

There had been protests forming, hovering on her lips, but the curve of his mouth, his emphasis on her name, destroyed them.

Kagome -

_Kagome - _

_Kagome-_

_Kagome - _

"Yes."

"Run with me now, Kagome."

She looked up at him, felt his fingers tugging at her hands, pulling her along, and she ran - and then realized, as if it was something she had always known, that she was not - not really _running_. Not _really_. She pressed her feet against the ground, and moved away, quicker, felt a...shift, a change come into the rhythm of her run, felt a flicker of memory, dark, blurry, flutter across her awareness. She had run faster than this..._before_.

_When he was...chasing me._

And she saw that he had recognized this, too, that he was pulling her still, urging her, teasing her, challenging her with his eyes. _Catch me_, they said; so she did, every time he pulled away from her, until they were a twin pair of winds on the wide, grassy plains that crept up the side of the mountains. When he stopped, quickly, reaching out to touch her, she stopped beside him, stumbled a little but did not fall.

"Good. Now - quietly, look."

"I don't see - oh!"

She let out a soft exclamation, because even as she had been saying it, she had seen what he was pointing at; a rabbit, almost the same color as the grass. It was browsing warily, but not warily enough. Sesshomaru saw that she had noticed, and sat back, crossed his arms.

"You are lucky, Kagome. That took no effort at all; now - catch it."

Her head whipped around and he saw her eyes wide, her comprehension...vague.

"It is your prey, Kagome. Catch it."

She turned back, stared at the rabbit, felt her fingers twitch. She..._wanted_ to catch it. A tiny voice in the back of her head yawned, waking louder than she had ever heard.

_Hunt. Prey, kill. Feed._

There were no words, not really; it was a feeling, suddenly as familiar, as deep as hunger. Or - was it hunger?

_I'm not human. Not human._

"Yes."

It seemed simple enough, his instruction. Catch it.

The rabbit was totally unaware of her existence. She did not step towards it, she was suddenly beside it, as if moving were an act of will, not separable from the thought. Her hands darted out, and pinned it. Her fingers contracted around the soft body, feeling the fur, downy, the rapid pulse against her thumb - one eye glimmered at her, wet, fearful -

"Kill it."

Her fingers twitched, but she- but she -

She didn't let go of the rabbit, but she couldn't kill it, either.

"I _can't_."

Sesshomaru took the ten steps necessary to stand beside her, and looked down at the tiny creature that was her prey. He did not...understand.

"Rin has expressed no such difficulties, those few times I have required her to fend for herself. What is it that disturbs you, Kagome?"

"It's...it's just so small, and - "

"Weak?""

She had expected scorn from him but there was a thoughtful set to his face.

"Yes. Weak. It's hard for me to kill a defenseless creature like this, Sesshomaru."

His head tilted slightly to the left.

"You want to eat...a predator? A wolf, maybe - "

There was a glint of sudden, humorous viciousness in his eyes that dissipated almost immediately.

"No! I - that wouldn't be much better, would it."

"You don't want - not - a _human_ - "

"No!"

She heard him, _heard him_, let out a sigh, and then he sat in front of her, shifted his gaze between the rabbit pinned in her hand, and her face.

"I don't understand."

She laughed a little.

"You - you wouldn't, of course you wouldn't. And you're right, anyway, it's silly - if you were to kill it, and I ate it, it would be the same thing. It's still dying for me to live. It has to be that way, it's just, _I_ don't have to - "

She paused, turned to face the sunset. The sun had vanished behind the mountains; they cast a purple shadow across her features. The wind was suddenly heavy, coming thick from the southwest.

"I smell - I smell -"

_Blood. Mine! Blood - _

Sesshomaru turned into the wind, scented it carefully. His face darkened with surprise. His brother was in that wind, and the scent of his brother's blood...and other blood. He turned back to Kagome, and his eyes opened wide, wider.

"Kagome!"

She was...gone.

* * *

"Sango, hey, Sango!"

The woman stooped to miss hitting her head on an overhanging tree branch, and came out of the edge of the forest with a trio of fat birds slung over one shoulder. She looked up and squinted into the sun at the boy running towards her.

"Hey, Shippou! What is the hurry for?"

The kit leaped an impressive chunk of the distance toward her and slid to a stop with a grin.

"Miroku and I have been watching Tetsusaiga for a while now. It keeps twitching…and it's a sword, so that's not really good, is it?"

She frowned, the amusement fading out of her expression. The lines of her forehead tightened, and she looked down at him seriously.

"What kind of twitching, Shippou?"

"Just…twitching. Sometimes it feels strange, and….pulses a little."

"Mmm…then I will go and see. I have some experience with demonic weapons, though not a sword as powerful as this one. That's all we need, a problem with Tetsusaiga now that Inuyasha is…gone."

Lost in thought, Sango was already half-running towards the village, and Shippou almost turned to follow. But the run out to find her, while not long, had been hot under the sun, and he flopped instead on his back and lay inhaling the sweet scent of summer grass – far from twitching swords.

Shippou sighed, stared up at the sky, late-autumn blue. He wondered sometimes if he would end up alone again; he had had no mother, and then Kagome had come...

Now he had no mother again, and even Inuyasha had gone. Kaede was old, old, old, and Miroku and Sango had plans for a life together somewhere, each in their secret selves. It was hard to be nine years old and wise, but life had just come at him that way, and there was nothing to be done about it now.

It the reaching tree-shadows, it was growing chilly now, but it was still bright. The sun worked slow magic on him, pressed his young senses into the sweet scented grass and the blue sky, and he felt his mind opening to encompass the great expanse above him, opening until he was flying with the clouds on adventures strange and mysterious. His father was with him in the clouds of his dream – he always was - and he learned secrets of the soul and sky in a dangerous doze.

Gradually the sun began to sink into the muddy horizon, setting the tinted leaves of the forest on fire, casting a smoky crimson haze across the red-and-yellow world of the day. In the forest, night was quickening faster in a few souls that reached for it with unquenchable thirst. A chill breeze with the scent of rain drove up quickly from the south, made the fallen leaves whirl across the ground and shook the grass to the roots. Wild things scampered back to their burrows, avoiding the scent of the hunt and worse.

Shippou woke in the chill, tasting change on the wind and the beginnings of a familiar scent.

He shook his doze from heavy limbs, and ventured onto the forest path, seeking the who of his what and rubbing his nose in confusion. It was Inuyasha's scent, but Inuyasha had been gone for weeks and weeks – there was no reason for him to come back now, Kagome had not returned. For reasons that he could not understand, he was angry, angry at Inuyasha for making Kagome leave. Kagome had been with him, and then she had been gone. That was all there was to the story, and so it must be his fault. He had decided that the first day, and had not approached Inuyasha because of that decision, but -

Abruptly he was running, running and crying and trying to find Inuyasha, trying to find him so he could hurt him, too – because he had been hurt. He ran into a pair of red-clad legs, and fell backwards, staring up, wide-eyed.

"I - know you."

Despite its flat tone, its dullness, that voice was instantly familiar. Shippou's tears dried up, his grief and anger tempered with surprise and then fear. There was something wrong with Inuyasha's face, with his scent- there was something wrong with Inuyasha's _face - _

The _wrongness_ leached the anger from him.

"Inuyasha! I - I miss…I…miss…Kagome…"

Tears were welling up fresh again; there was a bawl in his voice, just waiting for an excuse, but the eyes above him were red and wide with suspended darkness.

"Ka - "

Shippou looked up through his tears, saw a brief, shining moment of clarity, a flash that lasted, in Inuyasha's face.

"Kagome -

There was a whisper, a step; behind him, Shippou felt someone standing, heard two words in a low voice he could not immediately identify.

"_Inuyasha; remember."_

There was suddenly a scent around him that made no sense because it filled the wind, and then vanished - it was - it was Kagome! But - but -

He whipped around, peering into the bushes, the trees, turned again to face Inuyasha and sucked in a deep breath.

"Ki - Kikyou - "

She ignored him, didn't even look at him, but Inuyasha was still staring at him. The flash of his former self was gone, replaced by the red madness, and the voice of the madness was a terrible thing to hear.

"Kagome? Kagome…"

It was an experiment in sound. Then:

"That name, that scent was light - I hate that scent! I hate it!"

The words were more than enough to daze Shippou, to make him angry. How would anyone ever explain to Kagome, if she were to hear, or find out -

"How…how could you hate Kagome, Inuyasha? How could you ever say that? I know you love her, even if you never admitted it! I know you - "

One clawed hand came from nowhere and struck the side of his head, sent him spinning, and he stumbled backwards, blinking with pain. Slowly, he began to back away, seeing the edge of the village so far away now, so far - angry with himself for his own anger, for falling asleep out here where he knew it was not safe – for not running with the first sight of those eyes.

Inuyasha was smiling, smiling so that all his teeth were showing, his fangs glinting sharply, cruelly, in the early darkness. Shippou's small sturdy courage ran out, and he turned and ran towards the edge of the forest, screaming at the top of his lungs. Inuyasha' ears flattened with the noise, but his smile did not change. He leapt straight up into the trees above him, and leaped noiselessly from branch to branch, hunting, waiting.

Behind him, on the ground, Kikyou stood staring up into the trees, her features pursed in annoyance. She had brought him this way on the off chance that the girl with her soul had returned here; she had not expected Inuyasha to be so distractible…

Shippou did not hear any pursuit, but it was not enough to assuage his terror. He ran out into the flood of darkness, felt a shudder of relief.

His left side exploded in agony that ripped him to the ground. The blood flow was swift and immediately weakening.

"Shippou! _Shippou!"_

On the edges of his blurred vision, he saw, quite suddenly, Sango, running, and felt the whoosh of air as Hiraikotsu flew by him, burying itself in the ground by his side. He heard a solid _thunk, _twice, and the boomerang shuddered, cracked alarmingly.

_Arrows_! _Kikyou - Sango, run, Sango - run away - _

Inuyasha jumped back, growling, his prey snatched away at the moment of the kill. His claws tightened in the earth, pulling up the rich smell of bloodied loam to dance in the air with the scent of fear and pain. Earth was a clean scent, a good scent to kill with.

"Inuyasha, I am sorry. I never wanted to see you like this again; I had hoped that it would not fall to one of us to…to do this."

He strode toward Sango, and she dove for Hiraikotsu, but the sight of her weapon, cracked, studded with a pair arrows, startled her so much that for one, infinitesimal moment, she was vulnerable. At the last moment, she felt her danger and turned, but it was not swift enough. She had her sword half out of its sheath, but Inuyasha caught his claws against the shining blade tight in her two hands. Her words died.

As she turned, her eyes took in the slowly approaching figure of Kikyou, easily recognizable even in the dark end of dusk.

When she was close enough to be easily heard, easily seen, Kikyou stopped and looked down at Sango's face.

"Tell me huntress, why you do not kill this hanyou?"

"I don't kill my friends!"

Kikyou smiled.

"Ah. And this kitsune, that is the same? How strange, that you, a Taijiya in an honorable tradition, should fall so low as to keep such company."

"Like _you_ should talk!"

Kikyou's smile did not change.

"I should; I know the dangers of the company you seek. For my lack of discretion in life, the kami saw fit to curse me with undeath; I was not allowed the peaceful rest that I desired above all other things. The relaxation of my vigilance, the momentary disruption of my heart - ahh, how I have paid. And you, Taijiya - do you also wish to pay?"

Sango was frozen in the position where she had stopped, parrying the thrust of Inuyasha's claws with the half-drawn blade of her sword, feeling the steel bending under his strength. Her face grew hard.

"Is that your excuse, is that how you _live_ with yourself?"

Sango allowed her words to drip with contempt. This unnatural woman -

She spun quickly, feeling the dry ground grate under the heel of her boot, and swung without stopping to aim, feeling flesh and then nothing. Inuyasha howled at the scent of his own blood, and raised his arm to lap at his parted flesh. The taste was soothing, flowing, restoring the focus of his mind's spinning splinters.

"Where is _she_? Tell me, woman, where is _she_?"

"Inuyasha!"

Sango's eyes flickered back and forth between them - Inuyasha, and Kikyou - Inuyasha...and Kikyou -

_I knew it - I knew it! But without Tetsusaiga - without Kagome _here _- _

Her stubborn faith, her belief that _everything would be alright_, flickered and died under the red glow of unleashed youki in Inuyasha's face.

She knew instinctively that Kagome's name, by itself, was not enough; if it had been, Shippou would not be bleeding in the grass. Out of the corner of her eye, she tried to watch him, but her view was mostly blocked by the angle of her stance and Hiraikotsu. If she hadn't thrown it in time -

The image of Shippou, dissolving into dust and a puff of miko light, sprinted across her thoughts.

"You! You - Kikyou! What are you doing? What is it you intend?"

"What do you think I intend, Taijiya? Tell me, where is the girl who possesses my soul and the jewel that is my charge?"

"_Your _soul? _Your _charge?"

Sango was vibrating with rage now; she held out her sword so that the bloody tip pointed directly at Kikyou.

"You died, and almost took Inuyasha with you fifty years ago, and that was not enough. You were _brought back_, given a chance to undo some of the pain you caused, and _that_ was not enough! Your enemy, the one who murdered you, is dead - by the hand of your reincarnation, the hand of good girl - and not only was it not enough, but now you are going to seek her out, and do her harm?"

Her eyes flashed, turned to Inuyasha.

"And you - Inuyasha! What did you do to Kagome? What did you do to her, Inuyasha? Why did she leave?"

There were a thousand bloody thoughts playing runaround in her head; Shippou's silence and stillness behind her was all the proof she needed that despite appearances, the one who stood in front of her now was no longer Inuyasha. He had smacked Shippou around a thousand times, but he had never once hurt him, and now the smell of his blood was so strong even _she _could smell it.

"_Kagome_..."

There was blood in the word, dark, flowing blood. His eyes widened just a little, and she saw the infection in them, darker than when he had attacked her, as if something deep inside him were wrapped up in that word, the name of her friend, the one she had called _sister_ in the privacy of her thoughts. This was the one - this was the one who had driven her away, and now it sounded like he wanted her back. For what, for what? For blood?

"Inuyasha!"

Disregarding Kikyou, the threat of the strung bow in the undead woman's hands, Sango took a step backwards, sword at the ready - and then another. In a moment she could feel Hiraikotsu against her fingers, the smooth demon-bone surface reassuring - and in a flash, she was feeling more than she wanted to feel of that smoothness, felt it pressed against her entire back, felt herself being pushed backwards. Inuyasha was over her, his nose at her wrists, her throat, in her hair.

_"You_ - "

His breath was hot, metal-scented. She swallowed as he pressed closer to her, tried not to breathe, to turn her face away. She tried to remind herself that this was Inuyasha - _Inuyasha -_ that he would never -

"Inuyasha, do you want that woman? How crude."

_What - _

Sango shook her head violently, tried to tear herself out of Inuyasha's grasp and failed. Hiraikotsu behind her would not let her move back; he had trapped her arms over her head, bent sideways; her sword hung almost limp in her fingers from the angle of her wrist, and try as she might she could not turn it forward.

_"Kagome_."

The word was confused; she felt his hand on her face, the claws digging in, turning her; blood slipped down her cheek and she winced. Warm, moist roughness dragged up her cheek, stung, rasping at the open scratches, and she struggled again, suddenly, sharply - his hands shook her, once, twice, so hard she felt her brain rattle in her skull. Suddenly she was dizzy; the world seemed to spin, and a few dry petals blew over her face in a wind she couldn't feel.

_The hagi blossoms have fallen...the flowers...have fallen..._

She looked up, saw red blossom across the moon and then realized that it was blood, her blood, slipping down her face, distorting her vision.

"Inuyasha! We have work to do, still. This woman, you can bring her with us. She will be helpful to us, if she is close to that girl. Perhaps it will be easier than I thought, retrieving her."

Sango felt a sharp pain at her temple, and slumped against her weapon. As her eyes closed and she fell forward into Inuyasha's grasp, she saw a dark trickle drip off her face and onto the grass, but it was invisible in the general darkness, in the stain of Shippou's life.

_Shippou_...

Her last, fading thought was one of guilt. Once again, she had failed, failed in her task, her responsibility. They were the last words Kagome had said to him - the very last thing she had heard her say.

_"Sango, take care of Shippou - I have to do it now - Now! -"_

And then, like now - the darkness. Then, like now, the world falling away...

A/N:Sorry for the wait; in apology, extra-long chapter! Something I suppose I should make clear, for story purposes: at this point, despite what the blood urge has driven them to do (I.e, the tasty lemon :D), neither Kagome or Sesshomaru is "in love" - maybe subject to some more tender thoughts, but not in love. It should be obvious, but I want to say it and make it so in case it _wasn't_ obvious; Kagome still has to deal with Inuyasha, and what has happened between them( which still hasn't fully been revealed), and Sesshomaru has to overcome himself; he is not a happy puppy when he is forced to do things that he hasn't logically considered and decided for himself yet. I think a blood-matched mate taken under the influence of instinct sort of falls in that category…:D.

So! Coming Soon: some angst bits, some new people, some old people, and some OLD people! Now: Reviews! Let me see, here...first, a slight apology to...vampgirl210, because a certain thing I hinted would happen was only hinted at in the chapter...next chapter, promise! mwaha. Okay, and...it was a review EXPLOSION. EXPLOSION, I tell you...many, many thanks to Ichisakuraki Reiosamuka (I am 99.9% sure I spelled that right...) for a review for EVERY chapter! Awesome! I get way too excited, but still. AWESOME! Also thanks too...Anime Lady PIMP; Inuyasha is aware that he has a past, but doesn't really know what it is - he knows there was a woman and that she was (not to quote kouga or anything) 'his woman', but he doesn't remember _Kagome_ specifically. And not only that, but now, he is aware that _his woman_ is...his brother's woman. And he ain't happy. Umm...let's see...more thanks too...lunarcat12, and IamDimples; I should have a poll for how Kikyou should die, but I have no idea how to set one up and...well...eh. but seriously. HA! I know she's tragic, but there are times when she just pisses me _off_...

MORE SOOON! PLEASE REVIEW!

Final Revisions...DONE! Yee-haw – that's right people, yee-haw. For definition, see The American West. Anyway...R&R!


	12. XII: Hounded Priestess

XII.

Hounded Priestess

* * *

A pure, cold rage that she had never before felt the equal of had taken control of all Kagome's movements. The farther she moved into the trees, the closer she came to a place where she had spent a great deal of her time; quietly, impossibly, a scent that gave her wrath a deeper purpose grew stronger around her. In her human days, she had spent too much time close to that scent not to know it for Inuyasha's; she could taste his aura, the _strength_ that filled the air around him. Here it was tainted by darkness, something familiar - it was the scent of old soil, old death; it was the scent of Kikyou.

There was a tug on her soul, a faint, pink pressure that she knew too well; she had always been able to feel it when Kikyou was near, had known even before Inuyasha, sometimes, when her previous incarnation was approaching. She had never said anything; what would have been the point?

The anger that was moving her was directed almost equally between the two of them - Kikyou, and Inuyasha. The scent of blood that had moved her was Shippou's; she was also aware of a distinctly human odor riding in the trail of wind, but to identify it as Sango was beyond her skill.

Shippou she had claimed, had brought close to her heart as if he were her own child. Shippou was _hers_ - and now, he was wounded. She needed no skill, no practice, to identify that odor - the smell of his blood had awoken the Inu, spurred her maternal instinct, the possessive nature of the beast. It was a scent full of madness, the scent that she was now following through a forest whose paths she knew. She was close to Kaede's village, and did not even know it.

The moonlight, faded to pale threads in the sky, sent tangled skeins of blue and greenish light down through the trees. Their leaves moved in an unnatural gust of wind, east to west though the wind of the world was blowing down from the north.

Kagome herself was the wind, running at the command of a panic that pulled at her from the inside with a feeling of danger. If she had been conscious, if she had been asked where she was going and why, she would never have been able to explain it, but she could feel the moving beast under her skin and was shocked by it, the unrestrained urge, the killing desire.

For a moment, she paused at the dark wooded edge, and found herself laughing breathlessly. The farther her feet took her, the greater was the danger, the fury, the feeling that moved her without explanation.

Quite suddenly the trees were thinning around her, and then they were gone. She had come to the meadow between the forest and the village, and deep in the shadows of her thoughts she knew immediately exactly where she was. She had not intended to come back; the scents here were so strong she could barely breathe.

Slowly, very slowly, she approached a darkness in the waving grass, a stain that was the source of the scent that summoned her.

Suddenly, reeling, full of agony, she could identify the center of that as a child, her kit, her Shippou. She knew immediately, remorselessly, why she had been called, pulled, out into the night; she fell into a well of guilty grief, reached out but was afraid to touch him. A pale violet glow was rising at the corners of her eyes, and in the tips of her claws; her breath was coming faster, not slower.

"Shippou, Shippou…"

The Inu, momentarily cast aside for grief, returned with a rush to rage in her flesh, shaking her, grieving as she grieved, seeking for the reason, seeking for –

_Prey. Who did this? Who? Who is prey?_

It was as if Sesshomaru's voice was in her thoughts, reinforcing her urge, her _need_, for a life.

"_Catch it. Kill it."_

She had known nothing but the scent of blood, the scent of the child that pulled her and forced her onward. Now, in her new awareness, she was doomed. The Inu could taste a scent so tangled with the fresh smell of Shippou's blood that they were almost one scent; the Inu knew that scent, just as her greater consciousness did - strong in the wounds that had brought the blood, strong in the air, strong in her memory.

A name escaped her, found itself pouring through the air, a howl, a torrent.

"Inuyasha!"

She felt as though she would be split in two. Half of her was torn by the pulse of blood, the dark urge, the instinct for prey – half of her remembered that name as more than just darkness, as a name that had once had the power to hold her motionless.

But they were the same, they were the same. That name belonged to her prey.

Again, it came out of her throat - as a howl, a cry, a groan. She heard the noise, an inhuman noise, and could no longer restrain herself; the Inu had won. Her eyes clung to Shippou's pale, bloodless face in the dark stain, and then she was ripped away, forced along the cooler scent that had retreated from this place of pain. Where was the one who had killed her child, where was he?

"Inuyasha…"

The third time it came to her as a whisper full of blood; it came from the inner-hunter that was both new and somehow familiar. She was a visitor in her own flesh now that the Inu held sway, and she tasted many scents, submerged in this new release of consciousness – trees, beasts, the clean scent of flowing water, the scent of this her prey – easily, she could follow that scent, stalking with willing intent. Her blood was growing bright with power, illuminating the new, more sparkling redness of her eyes. There was death there, sleeping a the tips of her claws, for the one who had wounded her Shippou, the one she had claimed – the one who called her _mama _in dreams that she had heard, and smiled at.

There could be no forgiveness and no turning back. Soon, she came to a low overhang of rock that was partially hidden by flowers; the scent was both cold and warmer there, doubled back on itself and turned through the trees.

In another time, another life, she had come here with friendly intentions, the bringer of gifts, a visitor - now, she peered into the darkness with youkai-bright eyes, and growled a deep and bloodthirsty growl.

_Den of Prey, but Prey is moving. Moving - _

There was a noise in the darkness, the sound of a dragging step, and her eyes focused towards the back of the small cave. What was that?

_Smell of blood. Human._

Kagome turned away, the thoughts of the Inu already moving outward, into the night -

A broken voice sounded from behind her.

"Kagome - "

She whipped around, eyes wide, just in time to see confusion, horror and hopelessness unwind across Sango's face. The figure in the light of the door, the silhouette, had been precise - but what was left of Sango's senses screamed a mocking scream at her.

_Youkai!_

"Sango - Sango!"

The woman toppled into her arms, eyelids fluttering; her face turned to the side, and Kagome saw bloody claw-wounds there, a darker stain where she had bled from somewhere just above her hairline.

"Inuya - Inu - Inu - "

Sango slipped into the flat darkness; Kagome's eyes darted over her friend's body, saw the wounds that Inuyasha had inflicted - wind rushed into the cave from outside, freshening the original pressure of her protective drive as it freshened the scent of Shippou's blood.

With a snarl, she left Sango where she was, and disappeared from sight into the darkling woods.

* * *

Sesshomaru could not only smell his brother, he could smell his brother's blood, _feel_ it in the wind like an unclean hand, snatching at him. He could also feel the internal pressure of Kagome's wrath, moving inside him like a tide. He had quickened his pace, feeling danger in the _nothing_ of the air, danger in the prowling distress of Kagome's presence in his thoughts. He had to travel far into the trees behind her before he was struck again, strongly, with the scent of unfamiliar blood, something other than the scent of his brother.

_The waiting time is come to an end._

In an afterlife of which he was not afraid, he might suffer for the stain of his brother's blood, but it had been his father who had made the choice that led him to it.

"We will suffer together. I am coming, Inuyasha."

His thoughts were suddenly full of grief, grief that rose up and then crashed down as rage. Half stunned, he heard strange laughter, and then returned to himself, found that he was holding his throat and that the sound was his own. Kagome - Kagome, overflowing -

_She will drive me mad! She feels too much._

He became aware of deeper pain, anguish, and forced himself to return to the path, feeling a hot blade of anger that was entirely his own grow up from his chest into his throat. She was being harmed, as she was harmed when she dreamed, as she had been harmed by her nightmares, by the poison fever, by that youkai -

He did not even realize that he was running red-eyed, running faster than he had traveled in…ages.

The shadow of the trees engulfed him. The scents that he followed were strengthening, and mixed with them were human scents, village scents. The trail was leading him along the forest edge, and a path in the distance wound up around the curve of the hills like a dusty snake. Meadow-grass spread out like rippling water, silver in the night-wind under a cloudless sky. Ahead of him, he heard movement, a shaking in the branches that was moving towards him, and he slowed, and then stopped. There was a dark spot in the meadow that flickered under the slender moonlight, shining with wetness. A shape lay in it, and he stepped to the side of the shape and stared down for a long moment.

_The kitsune - _

Now, he understood.

Part of him was pleased; it was good for her to be protective over what was hers, good for her to have such strong maternal feelings. Part of him was greatly displeased; the source of her anguish was obvious, and if she was always so…emotional when she was distressed -

_I will go insane, or I will kill her_.

Somehow neither option appealed to him.

Curious, he knelt, and looked down at the kit. He wore the remains of a vest that was as dark with blood as the grass; blood stained the side of his head and was sticky on his face, the scent of it almost familiar now. Those injuries had not given him trouble; it was his side, the torn and scattered flesh, that had brought him down.

"So, Inuyasha killed you, kit. Shippou - "

As he said it, the kit beneath him took a breath that was loud enough for him to hear. Sesshomaru's eyes opened wide in surprise, and he stood silently, watching, thinking. Moments became a minute, and then two.

Compassion was not a demon strength: it was not his blood emptying onto the ground, but his mate had chosen this kitsune as her own.

_She seeks my brother's blood; she seeks vengeance._

He doubted the strength of her will.

Abruptly, he knelt and rolled the boy onto his uninjured side. With Shippou laying this way, the full extant of the wound became visible; he could see tissues shifting in the small body, perhaps organs.

"You should not be alive, kit."

Carefully, Sesshomaru slit his palm with his own claws and let the thick blood spill into the deep gash, coating the glitter of ribs, the dark tear of muscles split wide. He did it without letting himself think – he gave of himself and closed his eyes to the thousand protests of his own mind. Eagerly, Shippou's veins reached for each other, sealing, holding in the precious fluid of which so little was left. Again, and then a third time Sesshomaru gave his own life, replacing what had been lost, and then he stood, breathing deeply.

"For your mother's sake, kit – because that is what she must be. It is up to you – live, or die."

He swayed, half-dizzy. The wind was cold, waked his nerves and widened his eyes. His intentions were clear in his mind now, the things he must do. He would go back into the trees, and seek out his half brother, and send Kagome back to this kit…

_I will end Inuyasha's life, and then…_

The thought never had an end. Some distance down along the forest-fringe, the trees were parted with a scream of protesting wood, and Inuyasha fell out of them, snarling, running; the madness was obvious in him, and Sesshomaru stepped forward quickly, his fingers cracking in anticipation. He took only one step towards his brother, and then the trees opened again with a rustle like hurricane winds, a shower of leaves that showed in the moonlight.

"Kagome!"

She was at the center of the whirlwind, half-glowing with power, and the moment after he called for her he regretted it. Confusion showed in her features, made her stumble and turn in his direction.

"Not another step, demon!"

A third figure was proceeding calmly from the shadows, and Sesshomaru's eyes widened completely out of his control.

"Kago - no. _No_. You are the undead miko, you are _Kikyou_."

Her name came off his tongue with equal parts dismissal and disgust. It was the work of a moment to review his memory, the things he knew about this…woman. Certain things were beginning to make sense to him - the darkness in the dreams of his mate, the names on her lips when she turned in that darkness…and in the past, hadn't there always been a distance between them? Between Inuyasha, and Kagome. This woman - no, this…creature had been that distance.

_I see. There is a resemblance between them…or rather, there was. Was that why he chose my Kagome?_

For a moment his smile was greedy as his eyes flickered over Kagome, the pulse of her youki, the hot-metal flicker of her eyes. Ignoring the undead miko, Sesshomaru took a few quick steps towards Kagome, but Inuyasha was also moving and Sesshomaru could see his face now, the expression of mad cunning, the red-glazed eyes. Blood stained one of his brother's arms, wet and scarlet.

_The kit wounded him?_

Sesshomaru shook his head and took another step towards his mate, but a snarl moved over Inuyasha's face and he was halted by a sharp, sudden sound, a _ssthss_ that passed just in front of his face. The light that crossed his vision along with the sound momentarily blinded him.

_Miko!_

A low growl escaped his control and vibrated through his body.

"Demon! I warned you not to move!"

There was a laugh with demonic sounds in it from a direction that no one expected; Kagome. Sesshomaru had seen anger on her face, rage, when she had come out from the trees after his brother. Now…now, he saw the open arms of death, spread wide beneath that laughter, and suddenly he saw what she found so funny.

"Woman, which one of us do you want to stay still - myself, or my mate?"

Silence penetrated the air between them; he saw shock on the undead features and would have smiled but did not think her worth it. At another time, he would have killed her and been through with it, but the extra edge in Kagome's ferocity had already told him that the undead miko was _her_ prey.

_Interesting. She will kill this un-woman, but she could not kill her own food. Why is that? _

He watched Kagome's movements, slow, stalking, and turned his own attention towards his brother. Even in the madness, Inuyasha could choose his enemy, and Sesshomaru saw him flee away from Kagome with something akin to relief showing through the darkness in his face. He rushed toward Sesshomaru as blindly as he always had, and Sesshomaru sidestepped gracefully, narrowed his eyes as his vision swept his brother's body.

"What you have done with our father's fang, Inuyasha? Why have you abandoned Tetsusaiga?"

His answer came not from Inuyasha but from the undead miko; a lilting sound, laughter - it grated in his ears, like his Kagome but not.

"Demon, the sword is with humans, where it can do no harm. Shall I purify _you_, I wonder, before Inuyasha? You are family. It would be kind, would it not?"

He saw a smile begin to form on her face as she drew back her bow, and there was something horrible in it. He contemplated his own danger. It was possible - extremely doubtful, but _possible_, that she could kill him…but it was more likely that she might do some small amount of harm to him. And -

A blur of green and white flashed in front of his face, and he drew in his breath.

_Kagome!_

She stopped in front of the other priestess, and even Inuyasha became suddenly still, so thick, so obvious was the tension between them.

"Kikyou. You don't recognize me, do you?"

Kagome smiled, and Sesshomaru was sure the teeth in it, the glittering fangs, were purposeful.

"It's not like looking in a mirror anymore, is it?"

Sesshomaru saw shaken expressions, none of them whole, march in succession across Kikyou's face.

"You - you cannot mean - you don't expect me to believe - "

"I don't expect anything, not from you. I am _Kagome_, Kikyou, Kagome - the girl you wanted to use, and hurt, and break…and take everything from. I am her, Kikyou. And I am not."

There was a flicker in Kagome's expression that came from the strain of suppressing the Inu, the beast, the ravenous hunger for blood, and Sesshomaru saw it and was suddenly flushed with an answering pressure, not only watching her but _feeling _her, bright in his thoughts. Just that evening, he had brought her out for the first time, shown her the possibility of her own speed - now, without any urging at all, she tested her strength and found it more than adequate to the task.

Her fingers, her sharp, shining claws, wrapped themselves tightly around Kikyou's throat, and lifted her. The undead miko still held her bow and an arrow, but as he watched, he saw glittering power rise, and then wash away from Kagome's skin like water, leaving her unhurt.

"I don't think you can hurt me, Kikyou. Are you not thinking, because you're afraid? _You_ are _me._"

And she smiled that demon smile again.

"Only two things are possible, Kikyou, because the fact that we share a soul can't be denied. Either _you_ were youkai, as much as I am…"

She paused just long enough to watch Kikyou's face wrinkle in terror and denial.

"Or being youkai, being human, is something that has _nothing _to do with the soul. It's only flesh…or maybe something else."

"Im - possible -"

Kikyou's voice was cracked and thin around the pressure of the hand on her throat; her face had shattered with horror. Despite her attempt, she could not deny Kagome's logic; she and the girl - this demon - did indeed share a soul. Had she been wrong all along? If associating with youkai was not evil, was not the reason, then why… Why? It couldn't be true...

"I only want one thing from you, Kikyou. Tell me, what did you do to Inuyasha?"

"Ahh…ha -"

It was not a laugh, but a wheeze, as Kagome's fingers twitched around her throat.

"Inu…Inuyasha. I didn't do anything to Inuyasha. Inuyasha always loved me, always loved me more than anyone else."

She actually smiled, despite agony in the touch of Kagome's fingers, Kagome's claws.

"He would do anything for me. Anything…"

There was nothing worse she could have said, and she knew it…and then she knew nothing. In a single movement, a spasm, Kagome's hands drove into Kikyou's clay body, cutting into the false throat, the hollow abdomen.

Kikyou screamed, and screamed; suddenly, time was moving again, and Sesshomaru heard a roar of anger from his brother, the tones rising up and almost matching the volume of the scream.

The illusion of flesh crumbled so easily, it was almost possible to believe that it had been nothing. Looking down at it, at what was left of Kikyou, Kagome blinked and felt almost silly. She felt like a child who had been afraid of a monster under the bed - and now that she had looked…there was dust, and ash, and...

_Nothing_. _She was nothing all along. _

There was a sudden, painful pulse in her chest, and she looked down to see struggling blue light melting into her body, fading into gold as it touched her skin. It was like a pale echo of what she had felt when Sesshomaru had first changed her, that pain; she knew immediately what it was.

"Kagome!"

"No - it's alright, Sesshomaru. This…is mine. It has been missing for a long time."

"What - "

But the dust at their feet, the rapidly fading scent, the disappeared presence of the other priestess had made its final impact on Inuyasha's shattered consciousness. Sesshomaru's sharp question was interrupted by Inuyasha's howl, the woman's name like a ripple in the night air.

"Kikyou!"

Suddenly, he was stalking them again.

Inuyasha's eyes moved back and forth between them, his features intent, and Sesshomaru stepped forward at once, his features darkening with the intent to kill. For a second time, he was distracted from his brother's death, but this time the cause was more worthy. An ear-splitting howl broke into the night, spilled over his ears, loud but not unlovely.

_Mate_.

He had been training himself to think of her that way, but this time the thought came easily; enraptured in the glory of her kill, in her pride, in her victory, Kagome was beautiful, pure Inu - and then Sesshomaru flickered three steps backwards with a snarl, prevented himself from raising his hand to his shoulder only with will.

His brother's claws had struck deep into his flesh; that second of distraction had cost him first blood.

Snarling, flicking drops of _Dokkasou _from the tips of his claws, Sesshomaru advanced.

* * *

A/N: HA! And Kikyou is dead. Dead dead dead dead dead! Ultra, super, totally, finally, (for the second time) DEAD. And may she never come back. (She won't, I wrote this. :D)

Ahh, that feels so good. The manga tries to make her much less irritating, and the anime tries to make her a _little_ less irritating...but out of all of Inuyasha, the Kikyou bits were the only ones that consistently annoyed me. I got it, that when Inuyasha first saw her resurrected he was all confused and lovey-dovey...but at the same time, he had to be aware that she was a CLAY body possessing only the appearance of Kikyou. And never mind that, but EVERY TIME he sees her, she either A) tries to kill him and drag him to hell; B)tries to kill everyone else and drag him to hell; or C) attempts to give Naraku exactly what he wants, because...well...that part never did make any sense. Just the stupid kind. AHHHH!

Phew. Sorry, rant over! Anyway, much thanks for reviews to: blueminx87 - continued!; Ichisakuraki, thanks not only for reviews but how to use polls! obviously I didn't make a kikyou-death poll, but that was because then I would have had to wait for responses and this chapter would have been delayed...so...not too bad, right? oh! And you know, I considered Sesshomaru-dono, instead of Sesshomaru-sama...but then I wondered how many people would know what I meant. probably shouldn't have, huh? But I think I might use it for some of his vassals, so, yay!; wrecklessangel, don't be confused! if you tell me what, exactly, I can try to explain...because if you're confused it means I messed up, so let me know! Also thanks to Exiled Rain; praise like that keeps me writing (or makes me go faster)! glad to hear that you enjoy it so much!; Thanks to birdy22 - soon! Ta-da! Anime Lady PIMP and Kouga's Older Woman, behold: Kikyou's death! And my rant about it! HA!

Wow, longest A/N yet, sorry! Updates tomorrow during my 10 hour shift at work...me=sold my soul to Sesshomaru, you=Please Review!

Final Revisions...Complete! R&R! This is hard work – yours is easy! :D


	13. XIII: And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder

XIII.

And All My Dreams, Torn Asunder

* * *

As Kagome stared at the collapsed dust that had been Kikyou, her thoughts were strained only for an instant trying to decide on her new enemy, trying to focus.

The black rage saw Inuyasha only as an enemy, the one who had wounded her Shippou. The pacing Inu was not restrained by her own memory, her own feeling – since the moment the bloody scent had first touched her, she had lived in a darkness to which she had no choice but to submit. She was not used to the power of a demon's emotions; her anger was all consuming, relentless, and Kikyou's last words had done what the undead priestess desired, undoing every last bit of rational direction in Kagome's soul.

There was, sharply, a secondary tug on her emotions, a scent of blood only newly familiar; instinct forced livid heat into her eyes; her focus on Inuyasha became total.

_Mate! Wounded..._

At any other time she would have questioned her own thoughts, the baseness of them, their lack of subtlety, but the whisper of Sesshomaru's blood only reinforced the Inu, its will.

Strangely - or not, if she had only known - only Sesshomaru could touch her; she was aware of him, though not of his voice, not of his words. He was a reaching inner presence that sought vainly to restrain the well of violence that had overflowed in her, but the tiny freedom in her thoughts, the place where she remained herself, was already restored to violence, had no way to fight against the dark. She had lost herself to her anger, her furious pain, and her flesh was too new, too unfamiliar for her to have control over it.

Her eyes followed the movements of Inuyasha's face, seeing the truth of her own memory, the madness, the endless panic that was released in him.

There was a vague shimmer in her thoughts, the glimmer of a released fang, golden, enormous, but it faded almost unrecognized. Tetsusaiga was not with him; she knew without wondering how she knew it that the sword could not help him now.

_There is no way to bring him back._

The prowling Inu took this for agreement; she felt the inner howl, a deep squeeze of satisfaction in her most visceral self. She took one step forward across the silver-thread grass, and Sesshomaru called for her again. His voice, the sound of her name, made her stumble; there was blood roaring in her ears, the Inu moving in her skin...and then she saw him step back, and step back again, leaving Inuyasha to her, giving up his claim on his brother's death.

Sesshomaru saw only that since the moment he had found her, sleeping under the trees, they had been moving towards this moment. His attention, all his thoughts, were in focus with the promise she had taken from him. '_...I will lead you to your brother. I know…exactly where he is._' Her words had been twisted; she had brought him to his brother, but the death that moved was not in his hands and there was no memory of that promise in _her_ face, of what it once might have meant. She was wrath – she was darkness, glowing in the night.

Sesshomaru saw her claws dart outwards and return glistening, and heard a sharp snarl from his brother's throat at the same moment. The moonlight reflected oddly in Inuyasha's eyes, made them seem more blue then red, but he was distracted from the strangeness by a bright light in Kagome's hands, glowing violet. A smile leapt across his face that he could not restrain. The unanswered question that Kinawai had been taunting him with had its answer now, burning in her claws.

_Miko! _

And, lower, growling, deeper:

_Mate._

She was terrifying in her anger, terrifying and beautiful. Inuyasha's attention was only on her, now...and yet he was not looking at her. He would not raise his head to meet her eyes. There was depth in his brother that Sesshomaru had not suspected – even now he had not given up his fight.

_He remembers her – he knows her scent! _

The magnificent smile had not left Kagome's face despite the avoidance of her foe, but at that moment, there was a call, a shout out of the darkness.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha -"

Even in the thrall of her own instincts, Kagome's eyes shot up, stared across the grass. She knew that voice - it was - it was -

_Miroku_!

She stared, growling, and heard Miroku's sudden huff of breath. Tetsusaiga came flying through the air, the long sheath catching the edge of the moonlight and throwing it back. Miroku's aim was true; it flew straight as an arrow towards Inuyasha.

Recognition gave Kagome the power to take an extra step back, struggling with the Inu's possession of her will, her movements, trying to breathe deeply, to be calm, but it was a failing effort. She knew, _knew_, that it would not work – but hope tightened her throat painfully and gave her the strength to take a single step back.

Breathing deeply only brought her more of the terrible scent spurring her violence, but she forced herself to her knees; Sesshomaru saw the flicker of her eyes, red and golden, expanding and contracting with the sound of her growl.

Tetsusaiga fell through the air, almost in slow motion. Out of reflex, or some final, violent effort of his soul to save itself, Inuyasha's hand came up, and caught the hilt. Of those watching, only Sesshomaru was prepared for what happened, for the eruption of power, the lightening barrier of the sword rejecting his brother's touch.

_Too late. Too late, brother. _

For the first time, looking at Inuyasha, Sesshomaru felt...pity.

"No! Inuyasha -"

The sword came flying back towards Miroku much faster than he had flung it, accompanied by Inuyasha's howl of pain, a sound that was utterly deranged. The moment before it struck Miroku, Sesshomaru was there, plucking the sword out of the air; he stared down at it, his father's fang, quiescent now. Why - in his hand, but not in his brother's?

He looked up, saw the human looking at him, wide-eyed, his focus drifting backwards over Sesshomaru's shoulder towards Inuyasha.

_This human - a friend of Kagome. He is courageous to stand in front of me without trembling._

"Houshi, if you wish to live, then leave this place. The kit - he is behind us in the grass. He requires your help."

"Uh- "

Miroku's eyes passed back and forth, between Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, the youkai female he did not know, who still was familiar - but he backed away slowly, his thoughts racing, until he was far enough away that he felt safe running.

_Shippou - Shippou is wounded?_

He turned and sped out across the meadow, seeking Shippou; his eyes were distracted, kept peering back over his shoulder.

_If Shippou is hurt, then where is Sango? Where is she? She was only going to bring him back, only going to -_

His eyes were drawn to the dark spot in the grass, just as those before him had been, and he stopped over Shippou's body and took a deep, gulping breath.

_Oh - kami - _

Behind him, the long moment of silence was broken by pure sound, a blister in the air, an animal scream. Miroku whipped around and stared, almost fell forward onto his knees.

_Inuyasha - _

He was burning, bright with a deadly power that was suddenly, impossibly familiar. Miroku closed his eyes, but that only made it worse - and it was impossible, _impossible_ -

_Kagome._

He knew in his heart of hearts that it was her; he knew her power, as unique as she was, easier to identify than a fingerprint. He did not understand how this could be. As if he were seeing two people at the same time, two people in one place, he saw Kagome, his friend, her smile, the brightness of her power; and beneath the vision, there was the real truth of his eyes: the female youkai, as much youkai as Sesshomaru - more, at this moment, as she was possessed by glittering violence and a pure and deadly power.

* * *

Sesshomaru stood utterly still where he had stopped, Tetsusaiga clutched in his hand; he was staring at Kagome with confusion plain on his face, and did not even know it. Inuyasha's agony changed its tone and became higher, sharper, howling, and Sesshomaru watched her burning claws bury themselves in visceral flesh. He smelled organ-rich blood, the first hint of the darkness that he knew was death, and took a sharp breath.

This moment – it was not what he had thought it would be. He had thought that it would break her, but she was still smiling, a smile that was pleased at the death-sounds, a smile that showed him the Inu far too close to the surface, in total control. He had lost any _sense_ of her at all; the internal pressure that had been a flood was now a bare trickle.

_She will end as mad as he is!_

But even as the thought crossed his mind, Inuyasha sagged forward onto her hands, and then away from them, suddenly silent. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, seeing clearly, this time, a deep blue color fade to red, and then gold in Inuyasha's eyes, as his strength faded and the pulse of blood was dimmed.

The consuming power was extinguished quickly; in a few moments, the light no longer moved in his blood. He lay still, flat on his back, and Kagome swayed in place, her fingers outstretched. Her left hand was bloody to the wrist; the fingers of her right hand dripped darkly. She stepped forward slowly, carefully, as though the ground might disappear from under her feet.

The blood that had flowed out of Inuyasha seemed to have taken the madness with it; his eyes were clear. Kagome stumbled, and then fell onto her knees beside him. His eyes, their brightness, grasped something deep in her heart, and pulled - and against that pull even the Inu had no power. Carefully, her hands stiff as if they belonged to someone else, Kagome dragged Inuyasha up so his head was on her lap; he breathed very deeply, and he smiled.

"Kagome. I knew - it was you."

"Inuyasha - "

"Sorry, Kagome. I always...mess it up, don't I? You...smell nice..."

Her tears fell hot and fast, onto his cheeks, his lips; she felt his body moving less and less, his breathing becoming fainter and fainter.

"Inuyasha -"

She found herself suddenly unable to say anything but his name, and that, too, was harder - harder -

"I remember the first time you said that, Inuyasha."

He smiled; it took a long time, and in those moments she fully recognized what was happening.

_Inu - Inuyasha - he - I -_

"Always..Kagome, I always loved you best - I always...always loved you, best..."

It took a long moment for his words to sink in, and by that time they had failed him; his breath was a low hiss.

She felt suddenly an emotion for which there is no word.

As though awakening from sleep to find suddenly that her dream was real, Kagome stared down at her own hands, Inuyasha's blood. The light of the moon showed up the stain with green highlights, clear and liquid. Her face was wet – she felt the tears, the movement on her cheeks, the burning in her eyes – but half of her soul was still unable to understand this, darting back and forth between grief and anger, silence and violence. That part of her screamed loud enough to shake her, laughing, cruel. It said _'Why this crying? Why all this crying now? The prey is dead, the prey that murdered mine...isn't that what I wanted? Isn't it? Isn't it?_'

She felt Inuyasha's fingers slide across her cheek, through the tears, and then they went slack. Silence pounded in her ears; she heard that silence for all that it lacked.

No more words, no more breath-sound, no more heartbeat.

After what seemed like a long time, she felt hands on her. Sesshomaru was pulling her, trying to urge her away from the ground, away from the death, and the blood, and the silence. He spoke very quietly, though there was no one else to hear.

"You should not have done it. You should have left him to me."

She did not answer; her mouth made soundless shapes.

Suddenly, as he turned to step away from his brother's body, there was a note, chaotic, and a shaking blaze of light from Tenseiga.

_Sword - what do you want from me, sword?_

He ignored it, and pulled Kagome close, kissed her, would have praised her will and courage but for the glaze of betraying pain, like knives hammering across the tie that bound him. Her eyes sought to wound him, reaching and berating -

And suddenly her hands were on his haori pulling, pleading, almost bearing him down to the ground. She was not so heavy; was it the grief, weighing on her? The guilt? Her streaming eyes were attached to the pulse of the sword at his waist, and suddenly, the vanished hate for his brother welled up stronger than it had ever been. Her pleading - terrible!

It was the worst thing he had ever heard!

He did not know why.

"I know you think it's not a loss, I know you would have killed him yourself, but _I _did it, _I_ did it! His blood is on my hands, not yours."

_Stop. _

There was pain, actual pain, searing his thoughts. His unspoken thought had no power over her.

"Sesshomaru, I can taste his death! Save him! Please, I know you can save him. The light of your sword says you can save him!"

_No!_

He reached out and grabbed her flailing hands, held her still, turned her face so that she was forced to look up into his eyes.

"Tell me what I should save him for, Kagome. Tell me, mate, what should I save him for?"

He heard her gasp, knew which word had done it, unless it was all of them...

"_Please_ – save him..."

Her desperate whisper was worse than her pleading tears.

"Tell me! Save him for what, Kagome? Save him for madness and someone else's claws? Save him for _you_? You are mine!"

Agony pulled her, raped her mind and shattered her, left her screaming on the ground, on her knees. Only his hold on her wrist kept her from crumpling face-first into the mud. It was not her own pain. Not hers, but Sesshomaru's; she knew it, irrevocably, knew it and knew with it that his words were more than true. A thousand other things rushed into her consciousness, suddenly making sense - the touch of calmness that ringed her soul, for one thing - it resonated through him now, a wave that retreated and returned. And his pain - his pain was because - because -

"You - are -"

His eyes flashed, dark and then utterly cold, as if that could protect him from what he suddenly knew was coming.

"You are - _caring_! For me - For me! What do you want from me?"

She accused him with her words, and he snarled, turning away; he could not confront his _feeling_, could not touch it. She was his own mate, but she was the most dangerous creature in the world.

He watched her walk away from him, and he saw by the collapse of her shoulders and shiver of her movements that she was giving up. At his waist, Tenseiga shivered, too, and he sighed and took a step forward.

_I should not be doing this. It is - Wrong._

With a swift, single movement, he drew the sword and stood still, staring downwards.

_If I do this, I will lose her._

He waited.

_Lose - _

Waited.

_her._

Nothing happened. As his thought completed itself the light from the sword went completely out; he saw no underworld-servants, no glittering of afterlife. He saw her eyes turned up at him, glittering with sudden hope, but he was forced to shake his head.

"I'm - sorry. I...tried. For you."

There was a great admission in his words, something beautiful and terrible, but she couldn't think about it, couldn't breathe.

_Inuyasha. Inuyasha._

His last words kept playing over and over in her head, overwriting Kikyou's, overwriting...everything.

_"I always...always loved you, best - always loved you, best - always - always - _

In true youkai fashion, Kagome threw back her head and howled, giving full voice for the first time to the Inu that leaped inside her, sacrificing her grief to the moon.

Slowly, very slowly, silence fell. Kagome stayed where she was, not moving, not speaking, and Sesshomaru backed away through the grass until he encountered the Houshi again. Miroku was holding Shippou very carefully; he had wrapped him in bandages made from the torn fabric of his own robe, and the kit's breathing looked easier now, the open edges of his visible flesh less raw.

Sesshomaru looked back at Kagome, a dark shape kneeling on dark ground, and felt numbness.

_She is fading. _

For the moment of that thought he stood more motionless than the body of his brother, and could not breathe. The inner presence that had been such a weight as he ran had become a bare wisp, a hint of its former self. He thought of what it would be to lose that presence, to be empty of it forever though it was so new, and shuddered. What would call her back from the edge of darkness?

"Houshi, give him to me. That kit."

The distrust in Miroku's features was fluent; his awareness of the uselessness of argument, eloquent. Carefully, he held out Shippou and allowed Sesshomaru to lift him away.

Miroku looked down at his hands, at the red blood, dark in the lines of his palms, and then up at the sky. His thoughts were stunned, broken; in the space of ten minutes, his world had fallen apart and he wasn't sure what he should do. Slowly, he turned back towards the village, but he stopped before he had taken twenty steps and looked back. The thing that was most confusing had finally made its way to the front of his thoughts again; he wasn't sure he wanted to understand, but the question would not go away.

_Who is she? Who is that female, the demon with Kagome's power?_

* * *

A/N: And a moment of silence, for the death of Inuyasha. Ahh...wow, I tried really hard, so...no one hate me, okay? He really HAD to die...and, just because I'm nice, I tell you all - this is not the last we see of Inuyasha. Haha I really shoudn't say that but I just can't help myself. And yes, before everyone starts a riot, there IS a reason Tenseiga is playing lightswitch with Sesshomaru...and no, I'm not going to tell you here what it is! maybe you can guess! Also, for anyone who read the manga- I am aware of a whole bunch of sword-merging, sword-creating, new-sword-attack-giving hullaballoo...and it's a pain in the ass, to be honest. So, yeah...Tetsusaiga. Tenseiga. And Toukijin. :D

Now, reviews! much thanks to...wow! lots of people! okay, lets see...tifftails88: I REALLY shouldn't say this, but because I'm also a sucker for happy endings for everyone, I will give away a great secret, never before revealed to anyone (except my secret beta who read the original waaaaay back when I was in highschool) - eventually - waaay eventually, as in the SEQUEL, Kikyou and Inuyasha do indeed get a happy ending!

Exiled Rain: Yes! Some is much better than none! Better by far! much thanks!

Aries2Orion: much thanks to you as well! As far as Shippou goes, there are two things keeping him alive - one, he's kitsune. I really want to get across that he is _youkai_ - with all the strengths and differences that entails - and not just a poof-ball fox-like kid-thing. As he seems to be portrayed often, sadly. Two, Sesshomaru has shared his blood with him - quite a bit of it, actually! And as we will learn very shortly, that is extra helpful!

Selene88Sakura: wow! excited caps! ha! my plot is evil and twists everyone in various ways, but it's good to know I've managed to keep everyone pretty much in character!

Yokou Kumiko: much thanks! one more for you, on the house! :D

Anime Lady PIMP: FINALLY! Ahh...so glad I don't have to worry about her any more. And I don't have too feel too bad, cause in Winds she ends up with Kouga and is much less tragic. [ding dong the witch is dead...]

Ichisakuraki: Sorry, I just can't type the whole thing! I never spell it right the first time...ahh its so amusing to see how many people are pleased Kikyou is dead. I didn't know _everyone _thought she was an annoying pain in the ass. See, Inuyasha should've just used her as a vase, and then...heh. much thanks!

lunarcat12: thanks twice! Sango returns shortly, don't worry! and you know, I specifically wrote in Kagome killing Kikyou because...really. Half her soul, and the idiot is still trying to kill what basically amounts to a live version of herself. ridiculous! and now...dead! And everyone is going to eat me alive because I killed Inuyasha...

caitibug323: last, but not least! behold, the life of shippou! and...coming soon: Sango, who has Once Again been Traumatized. poor sango...I can't help it, she always ends up traumatized in my fics somehow!

Phew! More soon: Please Review! I talk to you, see? And the spirits of the anime plane say so!

And...Final Revisions, Complete! Poor Inuyasha...I still feel bad. Well, anyway, R&R!


	14. XIV: Survivors

XIV.

Survivors

* * *

Gentler than he was even with Rin, Sesshomaru held Shippou and looked down at his pale and bloodstained face.

_You have my scent in you, kit, my blood in your veins. You are mine, now, just like your mother. You cannot die. _

His eyes peered through the haze of the setting moon; swiftly, he went back to the overhang of leaf and branch that hid the body of his brother and his soundless mate in shadow. He knelt next to her, and offered his small burden.

Slowly, as though against her own will, her head turned and her eyes focused on the kit. The sight of Shippou drew out her attention; he was the reason for the violence, the reason for the outpouring of the Inu. Her fingers reached out to touch him and then pulled back; she spoke, but her voice came out faint and hoarse.

"He is – he is – he is –"

She could not make the word, could not make her mouth shape the sound of her fear and let it free.

"He is alive, mate, alive. He breathes; I closed his veins, for you."

Sesshomaru took her hands and held them on the boy's chest so she could feel the movement there, the pulse bright under her hands, a thin, speeding thread beneath his breath. His eyes were not on the kit, though, but on her face. He was waiting for a spark, a glint of something warm and living beneath the lightless cold that had descended over her.

"There is more to be done if you want him to live, Kagome."

Some of the limpness cleared from her features, replaced by gratitude that lifted her face from her examination and met his eyes.

"You - closed his veins?"

She repeated his words and he was grateful for even that pale astonishment.

"There was no reason for you to do that."

He accomplished a shrug inside the faintest of smiles.

"No reason but that he is yours – enough yours that you felt his danger, and came to him, so that he was saved from it."

Surprise showed on her face, and then disappeared.

"Saved from it? No, I did not save him. Inuyasha was – Inuyasha was not with him when I came, but I knew….what had happened."

The words were soft and heavy. She swallowed away the thickness and felt the dry burning of her eyes as a betrayal. Why no tears, why? There was a streak of dampness on her left cheek, as if to remind her that they had come and gone, finding themselves unwanted.

"I should bring him back to the village. We are close, or he would not be here. Kaede will help heal him, I...have nothing with me."

Her eyes looked away from him, into the distance beyond the swell of the meadow; she missed the curious pulse of his eyes at her, almost a question.

"I wonder if Sango has stayed, if Miroku is with her..."

As she said the woman's name, as she thought of her, a tickle touched her nose, a moment of strangeness that she shook away. She remembered then, though she had not really forgotten.

"Miroku - Miroku was _here_! I saw him, I saw -"

Sesshomaru could see in the reflection of her eyes exactly what vision silenced her; the sword, its shape outlined against the sky - the power, yellow lightening, a roar of pain, of betrayal -

"Yes. Yes, Kagome, the Houshi is here. But -"

He hesitated. This was not the best time for this; he could see a faint flicker of hope in her face and did not want to crush it, but she still did not seem to understand how much was different now.

"Take your kit and go to your friend, Kagome, but remember that you are changed. These people; if they were companions, that is one thing - but they are human, and that is to be afraid."

A shadow was hidden in his voice. Kagome swallowed, and accepted Shippou into her arms. Her eyes avoided the blood, Inuyasha's body, and kept to the drawn stillness of Shippou's face, cold with pain. High, swift-moving clouds passed overhead, a flicker of darkening, and this time she did not move away when Sesshomaru stepped close to her and pulled her up onto her feet, began to steer her toward the village. Dull and slow, her thoughts moved over what he had just said.

_I was not afraid. Ever. Oh...of this and that enemy - of death...but not of _them_. Us. Is that what it means…not to be human? _

"Do you see him, Kagome? Your friend? He is waiting."

"Yes. I see him. He is looking at me; there is something...in his face. What is it...in his face?"

Her voice was soft and she spoke as if to herself, but Sesshomaru heard her and the richness in her tone, the richness of hope. He could only wonder at it, and keep his silence. It was the time of mourning, not of questions, but he looked down at her and saw grief brooding between her eyes, seated in the lines of her forehead, unfettered at the corners of her mouth.

As they were walking, she was falling deeper and deeper into silence; she would not look up, she would not meet his eyes.

_She must not fade!_

He felt the thought penetrate him, permeate him, and could not have explained why he felt this so strongly...it was something that just _was. _

"Tell me about this kit, Kagome. Tell me why you brought him here."

She shook her head slowly. It took so long for her to start speaking he began to wonder if she had any intention of answering him; gradually, the words trickled out.

"I did not bring him – not really. Not too long after I began traveling, searching for jewel shards, Shippou came to...to us."

Sesshomaru watched her eyes, the way they slid back over her shoulder towards his brother's body; carefully, he positioned himself so that she could not see.

"He was trying to steal the shards from me; tricky little thing, he was. His parents had been killed by a pair of demon brothers who used shards of the shikon no tama. He wanted to fight...they taunted him him wearing the pelt of his father, Sesshomaru!"

He let out a little growl at that, a sharply disgusted sound that surprised her. Then again, she had seen him in the shape of the Inu, had seen his father's bones, stood in their great hollow shell, watched the two brothers fight among them. Perhaps Sesshomaru only thought of his own father, and what _he_ might have done to avenge such dishonor.

"That was the first time I almost died - I mean really died. Foxfire protected me, and Shippou - his father's power, the spirit sleeping in the stolen fur. And...after that, Shippou was with...us."

Again, that darting movement of her eyes, but this time she shook herself, stared down at the kit.

"He has been ever since."

A faint, fond smile touched her lips and he saw her press the bloody bundle of Shippou a little closer to her chest.

"And so he is yours now, your kit, your son."

She blinked at him for a moment, and then nodded.

"Yes. Mine, my...son."

Her voice was quieting again, but they were close to the village now and greater concerns were making themselves known to him.

The Houshi was not moving, had not moved; he was standing still, staring at Kagome, and there was something in that stare which Sesshomaru felt could be absolutely disastrous if left alone. It was...fear.

_Fear. But not of me - and she still does not know it, still has no idea what it means. _

But he saw her look up, and then suddenly there was a fragile, reaching smile on her face, a terrible thing, because if it broke - if it _broke_ -

"Miroku! It - it's me, Miroku...it's Kagome."

* * *

At the sound of her voice, Miroku finally hurried forward through shadows into the moonlight, a wide smile curving his lips, turning his cautious expression into a glad face. He was trying to force himself to believe that what he had seen, what he was _seeing_, was an illusion, a trick of the darkness - never mind how darkness could turn black hair silver, brown eyes to gold - never mind, never mind...

_She came back – she came back! _

The sheer delirious joy of it, when he had thought her to be far out of reach or even dead - but that had been silly of him, he saw now, because...she had come back. Kagome's words reached out to him again, delicate, worried, warning, but he did not understand the warning, or why it could be – he did not even hear it in her voice. He had already seen, and she did not know that, but he did not really _believe_, and that was what she was afraid of.

"You should know, Miroku, you should know – "

Already, it was too late for her to tell him anything. He could see her now, in the changing angle of the growing light, against the darkness of the horizon where the moon had fallen. He stopped; he could not breathe, or move, or think. His own denial came crashing over him like a wave, and left only shattered illusions, shattered hop, behind.

Miroku tightened his hands on the smooth wood of his staff. It was instinct; it was his training that moved him, readied him. He could see only a youkai female, but she had Kagome's voice when she called out of the darkness; she had Kagome's power, power that he had seen, that was still tingling on his invisible senses - but the eyes that searched his face were demon eyes. He planted his feet in the wind-ruffled grass with as little movement as possible and spoke with challenge in his voice, but he was confused, his thoughts racing now that they were freed from the stunning force of that first clear moment of sight.

"_You_ are Kagome? You?"

"Miroku…Miroku…"

There was an ache in the Kagome – voice now; he could see the mouth move in the strange-familiar face, the glitter of sharper teeth in a half-smile full of fangs.

"I know you?"

He shook his head, watching the shadows on her face, seeing a tightness that he could attribute only to great grief, sadness upon sadness.

"How could I know you, youkai lady? How could I know you, unless you are Kagome? And how…how can you be Kagome?"

The words came out of him with a hint of laughter in them, as if to say 'how funny, what a good joke'. But the laughter did not reach his eyes; the hint of the sound disappeared into the corners of the night and left him without breath.

Miroku took a step forward, mouth opening again, other words on his tongue – a sword silenced him, laid across his throat with no more warning than a whisper of wind. Once, deeply, quickly, Miroku breathed in, eyes wide. He could not see his attacker, only the blade of the sword as it rose past his eyes, but he still knew who it was.

_Sesshomaru! But what – how did -_

And then the female spoke.

"Sesshomaru! He is my friend! My friend, Sesshomaru. Please, it isn't his fault! I wouldn't believe me either, please - Sesshomaru - "

Miroku had no doubt left in him, could not have forced it to the surface even if some deep dark cavern of his soul there was a particle hiding. Who but Kagome would have the audacity, the strength, to plead on his behalf in the face of Sesshomaru? Who would have reason?

He swallowed against the pressure of that sword, felt it tense and then relax and fall away. He turned, and his eyes searched the face of his attacker, and he was silent. He had seen it before, that face, so much like his brother's and yet so different – and there was a different expression on Sesshomaru's smooth features now than he had ever seen before. The Daiyoukai looked almost...curious.

_He was concerned about Shippou, though - before. And he told me to go, if I wanted to live, so..._

"We have not been formally introduced, lord, but I know of you, I have seen you; I have heard many things about you, but it seems that everything is different now."

He took a deep breath, and faced Kagome, left Sesshomaru's deadly presence standing at his back, tingling, not moving, not relaxing its vigilance.

"And I do know you, Kagome; I do. Even if it cannot be. And I'm glad you're back, finally - however changed."

There was no denying the power that he had walked beside for years, no denying the tone of her voice or the yearning of her features. He remembered her suddenly as he had seen her first. A beautiful girl, he had thought, powerful and bearing a dangerous treasure - and look where that moment had brought him!

But it was Sesshomaru who spoke to him, and drew his attention, not Kagome; Sesshomaru, who he remembered only as a shape of danger, in words and face-to-face.

"If you are the friend of my mate, you are in no danger from me."

Miroku could only swallow and breathe his thanks while his thoughts raced and Sesshomaru stepped around him. Sesshomaru touched Kagome's shoulder, held an arm around her and stared across the patch of moonlit grass between the two of them, and him. It gaped like an abyss.

_Kagome is youkai. A demon, and she stands beside Sesshomaru, and he calls her mate. Kagome - Kagome is a demon -_

He could only think of that one thing, and his grasping thoughts took in the knowledge that the great change which had overtaken his friend was much more than skin deep. He didn't know how he knew; it was a simple truth that impressed itself on him; in his thoughts was the violent glare of purifying power, the echo of an inhuman scream.

_Kami-sama! She was fighting Inuyasha, she was fighting him and she...and she...Kagome! _

He said the best thing he could possibly say, meeting her eyes beneath the deadliness of Sesshomaru's gaze.

"You were never like the rest of us, Kagome, and if you were afraid that we would not be able to accept this...change, I understand. But you should have known better!"

There was a hint, a tiny blip of anger in his voice, but then he forced a smile and waggled a warning finger at her.

"If you have stayed away because of this, I might not forgive you; I'll brave your new defender to tell you what I think of that!"

Sesshomaru interrupted him, pleased enough to see the faintness of the smile on Kagome's face, but he could hear the flutter of a heartbeat that needed their attention, a moan that was not really a moan because there was not enough breath to give the sound life.

"There will be time for talking later, Houshi. This kit needs care."

Miroku's eyes returned to the revelation of Shippou's small broken shape in Kagome's arms, a bloody curve pale with pain.

"You know the way, Kagome. I will go ahead, and wake Kaede. She will be as glad to see you as Inuyasha– "

He froze. He wanted to slap himself, realizing suddenly that that was the worst thing he could possibly have said. His eyes darted towards the place across the meadow where the battle had happened, and then narrowed suddenly, peered up at Sesshomaru, his only suspect. The truth that had happened beyond his eyes was also beyond his guess.

The sound that diverted his thoughts was a moan, a growl. It came from Kagome and dragged a terrible silence behind it. He turned to look at her, and she held Shippou tightly, very tightly; Sesshomaru, too, was watching her, with a peculiar expression and a sharpness in his eyes. Miroku knew what had happened without asking, and knew also that he still must ask.

_Dead. Dead, and nothing any of us could do about it, in the end. Did he know? Did he know, all those nights he sat up alone?_

But he shut off his thoughts, took a deep breath.

"What happened, Kagome? I saw the two of you, fighting him – what happened to Inuyasha?"

Her exhalation was so sharp it was a sound; the name itself refreshed the agony, the painful flow.

"Inuyasha…Inuyasha…Inuyasha…Inuyasha…"

The moan became a murmur, and faded. She did not speak, but her eyes found his face and told him everything with their outpouring, with their dimness. Her hands remained tight on Shippou's torn tunic, but they were dark with blood and the fabric showed the prints of her fingers. He looked at her, really looked, and beneath the distraction of her strangeness were the marks of a terrible battle. Even Sesshomaru was bloody, though not nearly as badly as Kagome.

Her arms were dark up to the elbow, as though she had dipped them in a crimson pool – beneath the spread of stain, her robe could have begun as green, or blue, but now it was red, all red. Miroku let out a heavy sigh, and his shoulders sagged.

"So he is lost to us."

His eyes drifted to Sesshomaru's face; he could not restrain his tongue even if there was a chance for pain in is words.

"So, he was right about you, Sesshomaru-dono. He always said that you were death."

For a moment it was the danger that shone out at him from Sesshomaru's eyes, bright and seeking, but it was quick to fade.

"I may be death to many, but not to my brother. He wounded the kit, and Kagome was drawn to the son she had claimed; I could not restrain her. Now, she grieves."

Sesshomaru's voice gathered a softness that still could not weaken the blow of his words.

"She would not step away; she would not let me kill him."

Finally, Miroku understood. A sick feeling in his stomach threatened to choke him, and he could only stare, silenced. Behind his eyelids was the burning of that power, the pink flood of light; in his ears was the terrible, animal scream.

Sesshomaru was suddenly the purposeful one, the one who began to move them towards the village, directing Kagome with his arm around her waist, and a hand on her elbow. Miroku could do nothing but follow at first, and then he recovered himself and ran forward to lead the way for Sesshomaru, down the twisting path that led through the village to Kaede's door.

* * *

The old priestess had been sleeping with the lightness of someone who has been wakened in the dark of many nights; her gaze was alert and watchful on the strangeness that had stepped over her threshold. She knew the face of Sesshomaru; nominally, it was the face of her lord, but Kaede was wide-eyed watching the movements of the female who stood beside him. She held Shippou close to her breast; her eyes were hidden by the curtain of her hair and she did not raise her head to meet Kaede's gaze. The old woman saw blood, and was instantly alert.,

"Who have you brought me Miroku, so late at night? What happened to Shippou?"

She had rolled out of bed almost immediately; now her fingers issued order to the young Houshi - build up the fire, get water heating. There were questions in her eye as well, demanding that he begin his explanations at once - right now, right _now_.

Miroku took a deep breath, as if unsure where to start, and then let it out. His shoulders moved as if trying to shrug, and then collapsed.

"This is Sesshomaru-dono, and _she_ is…Kagome. She is Kagome."

He said it because there was no other way to say it, because it had to be said and Kagome's face was full of silence.

He saw white shock flit across the old woman's face, interrupting the reach of her hands towards the herbs and the linen that were always close by. Steadily, Kaede met Miroku's eyes, saw the confirmation there as he gave her the tiniest nod. The deft movements of her hands resumed themselves, taking out dark-dried leaves, crushing them into a powder that brought a strong scent of musky sweetness into the room.

"I must be honest about my wariness, Sesshomaru-dono, but I will not protest your presence. You have brought our Kagome back to us, no matter how changed she is. We missed her."

Sesshomaru only growled, a long sound that sent a shudder up Kaede's back. He was not amused. A wave, really a mere brush of his youki flowed over her, and suddenly Kaede found herself unable to keep her hands from trembling. She stared at them with a strange feeling of disconnectedness. Her thoughts became simple.

_Well, then..._

Her eye seemed to drain of color, became a pale almond pucker in a dried-persimmon face.

"So - tell me, what is it you desire of us? You are the youkai brother of Inuyasha, the one who is Lord of the West - I can see it in your face. And - this one – you have brought -"

Her eyes refused to focus on Kagome's face, just...slid over those familiar features tilted in unfamiliar, fear-provoking ways.

"I did not _bring_ her; she is not for you."

"Even so - as I said, she was missed, lord."

"Do you not hear me? She is not for you. She is mine now; she will not, _can not_ stay here."

His eyes flickered like the flames in the hearth, and then receded. Kaede heard him, but did not understand. There was only one person who could ever have made such a claim on the Kagome she remembered; her eyes darted back to Miroku, to the drawn stillness of his features; he shook his head, and Kaede closed her eyes. It was not enough for her.

"You have nothing to say, demon-who-is-Kagome? Have you given yourself up, then?"

Kagome's name came out of her reluctantly, and served to stir the female out of her silent and motionless trance. Her head came up as she stepped forward and knelt, laying Shippou across the cushions beside Kaede, and the strangeness of it captured Kaede's tongue. There was no more woman; those were youkai eyes staring at her, stranger-eyes - and then Kagome spoke, and the sound of her voice dispelled all doubt.

"Don't try to understand it, Kaede, _I_ don't even understand it...but I am his, now. It's best that way."

She could still feel the tug of that endless, infinitely deep wave of calm; it was part of her, part of her words, now. It had risen over her and she had fought it, as they were walking along, until she could not fight it any more - until she had to surrender to it, and its meaning, its presence. It would be with her always - she knew that.

_Sesshomaru._

In the privacy of her own thoughts, as her hands worked at the make-shift bandages around Shippou's abdomen, peeling them gently away from his skin, she admitted that for one thing, at least, she was glad.

She would never be alone again; she would never be lonely.

After a moment, her work revealed the deep glitter of Shippou's wounds in the firelight. They looked worse here than they had under moonlight in the meadow; she could see the depth of them, the trauma to his flesh. She had no idea where to start, how to clean or close such a terrible injury; for a moment she looked up and caught Kaede's eyes on her, saw that the old miko was almost as lost as she was. Kitsune or not, without something more from them, Shippou would die.

Sesshomaru spoke then, the only one who knew what to do.

"Is it so hard to think of what you must do, mate? Remember what I told you - what you did for me."

Her eyes focused on the fingers of his restored hand, followed them to his wrist, up his sleeve to his face, wordless. She saw him in her head, on his knees before her, bathing in the flow of redness that had come from the wrist he had slit; she saw the power lifting from the crimson, taking color from it; she heard his voice, words he did not need to repeat. A miko, keeper of the peace - not a murderer.

Sesshomaru nodded once as he saw understanding flood her face.

"Cover his wounds; you know how. Feed him on the richness in your blood."

Kaede and Miroku were silent, until Kagome used her own claws to cut into her flesh, and then held the open, pouring wound over Shippou. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, tried to remember how it had felt. Sesshomaru had been pulling on her, then, on her inner self, her heart, the home of the power. She had to do it herself this time; it was difficult, but gradually she felt the waving threads begin to grow and reach out from her blood. They directed themselves, and, half-dazed, she tightened her fingers in her own wrist a second time as the cut began to close.

Her blood was on Shippou, now, in him; she could see the light, reaching out, almost touching his flesh. It was then that Kaede finally found her voice.

"Kagome! What are you doing, child? You will purify him!"

She almost stopped, almost pulled back at the horror in the old woman's voice, but Sesshomaru came to her rescue, threw words at Kaede like they were stones, arrows. His voice was as hard and as cold as ever; his eyes glittered at Kaede with a faint aura of contempt.

"Silence, miko! I know the origins of your power, the beginnings that you do not know - how your kind came out of the darkness with the sun reflected on a mirror - how you turned healing into death. I know it, and you - you do not, do you? It is all legends to you, all lost in the mist. But you will not turn my Kagome into a creature like you, a creature of a thousand murders. She is more than that; she is the _truth_."

If he had been anyone else, he would have smiled then, just to disturb her.

"She is truth - look, woman, and see what power that is."

There was silence for a moment; Kaede's face was trembling at the touch of this secret history, at the thoughts which occurred to her, thoughts she wanted nothing to do with.

Because he was right - it was obvious that he was right, obvious from the flicker of light that had been eaten by Shippou's hungry, healing flesh. Watching, she could see the tissues of his tiny body realigning, sealing, reaching for each other.

Time passed; ; no more words were spoken. Finally, Kagome sat back, breathing heavily. The red Inu had risen in her eyes from the strain; she had given of herself until she felt the black edge of unconsciousness approaching. Even now that the light had receded, she could still see pink moving in Shippou's battered flesh, loose ends closing themselves under the influence of her blood, her power. The narrowest, shallowest wound was gaining a translucent cover of skin.

The death-paleness had faded out of Shippou's face, and he looked as if he were only sleeping now, his breathing regular with hardly a hitch of pain. In careful silence, avoiding all the eyes around her, even Miroku's, Kaede began to sponge away the blood that stained him, mixing antiseptic herbs with the warm water.

From the corners of her eyes, she continued to glance at this new Kagome, judging, wondering. When she finally spoke, her words, her question struck like a whip - though it was not her intention.

"Tell me, Kagome - what does Inuyasha say, now that you _belong _to Sesshomaru-dono?"

Kagome opened her mouth; only silence escaped her.

Kaede only meant to make her think twice; to somehow save her from the dark power of the youkai beside her. She had taken Kagome to her heart like an errant daughter, had been troubled often by the girl's closeness with demons, by her customs - the customs of a foreign age. Kaede had seen feelings sprout and blossom in Kagome, just as she had seen them in her sister, long before - often, she had watched Kagome's face crinkle in just that certain way, that sad smile, and been bruised by it.

She had not thought that Inuyasha was good for her, but at the same time she had not been able to make herself believe that Inuyasha was bad. But this Sesshomaru - he was utterly youkai; she had heard him described as cold, vicious, heartless, damned - he was ravenous for power, this one, he walked a path of conquest and he walked it alone.

Her face hardening, her single eye as unyielding as granite, Kaede put her question again.

"Well, Kagome? What does Inuyasha say?"

* * *

Kagome took a breath, deeper and deeper, until she thought her chest would explode. How many times would she have to hear these questions?

It had not even been a full hour; this was the second time the fresh wounds in her heart had been widened. She couldn't think; there were no words; she felt as if opening her mouth would unleash a spray of fire, so hot and liquid was her pain. Redness hollowed her eyes, made the wildness of her guilt visible in her face, and she still could not find the tears that would begin to release her.

She leapt up like an uncoiling spring, and ran through the door.

Miroku exchanged a stricken look with Kaede, and then turned towards Sesshomaru. Silently, he asked for permission; silently, it was given. Sesshomaru watched through the fluttering curtain as Miroku disappeared into the darkness, and then turned back towards the fire and the old woman. His gaze was ferocious.

"He is dead, and she would not let me kill him – she did it, with her own hands, her own power. It hurts her, that she has done this. Understand that, and never mention it again."

_If you hurt her, I will _kill _you._

He did not say the words; they were obvious all the same. Kaede's hands stopped moving, and then started again, but her fingers were trembling and the voice that filtered past the sudden blockage of fear in her throat was not steady. Carefully, she attempted a dangerous test. For a moment, he had spoken as if Kagome's pain was distressing to him in some way.

"I apologize. It was not my intention. Tell me, Sesshomaru-dono - if she is hurt, why don't you go to her? Since she is _yours_."

He sensed faint curiosity in her question, a layer of resignation collecting like dust in her thoughts, but far more quickly.

"I am pain to her now; that is all."

Sesshomaru turned away from her, moved aside the curtain and stared out through the door. He had no intention of discussing his _feelings_ with this miko, as was obviously her intent; there were other things that required his attention. The darkness had turned that deep, luminous blue which is found only at twilight and in certain dawns.

"When it is fully light, I will return with my brother's body. Those things that are necessary – make them ready."

He left without giving her time to respond.

Outside, he crossed Kagome's scent, and the Houshi's, and paused for a long moment, but he did not turn aside to follow them. His steps were slower but more purposeful as he continued onward – it did not take long for him to come to the stretch of bloodied grass, the scar of stains. A cool wind blew over him, heavy with dampness, and then a mist that became a sprinkle of rain.

* * *

A/N: Ah, there we go! This chapter was 9000 words long because I'm a fool...so I cut it in half, and now there shall be two chapters, instead of one! Aren't I just awesome? Let see, reviews! Much thanks to:

Yokou Kumiko: Doubleshot! Woo! Behold, some Miroku! :D

Kouga's Older Woman: Of course he will! But only a little, because he's Sesshomaru! Confident in his own superiority and all that, ha!

Ichisakuraki: Ahh, but I cannot reveal any more of that future, because its...like...the end of the sequel? Ha! I know it sounds ridiculous since this is only chapter 14, but its the TRUTH! And maniacal laughter is better without a reason - so much better.

Selene88Sakura: Woo! Great thanks from me to you! I get all euphoric and giggly when I get really good reviews, so you have to forgive me for being OVEREXCITED every time. HA! Shippou lives! Behold! And I am REALLY HAPPY you like the invisible people! I just could never imagine Sesshomaru with normal servants (except Jaken)...

proud-eleven: Ahh, I knew people would be mad that I killed Inuyasha! In my defense, I say only that I find it very hard to believe most circumstances where Kagome gets shoved with Sesshomaru - really, Inuyasha being dead is one of the only things I've ever been able to think of to get them together. But! I must thank for your appreciation, even if you are sad he's dead...and remember, we'll see Inuyasha again later...and in the sequel! He's just...tragic for a while. :D

Anime Lady PIMP: I know, right? But she's got Sesshomaru, so she will be saved in the end!

ChaoticReverie: Ah! I think you reviewed Ukime, too! Yay! Sesshomaru's ego will survive...I mean, it's probably the largest single thing in the universe, right? Ha! The great secret of Kagome's youkai self is...well...a great secret! But, I will say this: if you read VERY closely, there has already been one significant hint! Mwaha. In...chapter...four? Yes, four! And also...Long Live Kikyou's Death! Selfish is definitely the right word!

: Much thanks! It's so much fun to kill her...

Lunarcat12: I know, I know...it's all surprising and such - but if Inuyasha has to die, I'm sure he'd rather be killed by Kagome and have her cry on him than by Sesshomaru, and then his dead body gets kicked, or something! No clay for Inuyasha, definitely definitely not; in fact...ahh what I want to say here I really can't cause it gives away far too much of the future! But rest assured, anyway - no clay!

caitibug323: The sadness of the ears! Really, that's like...the worst part of Inuyasha dying. They should have given Sesshomaru puppy ears, too, except...he would be a lot less imposing then, wouldn't he? Ha! And Shippou! Yay! He lives! And he will continue to do so! That pelt thing always really pissed me off, too, by the way. Talk about salt in the wound...sheesh.

Angela Page: Ta-da! And no waiting for the _next_ next chapter, cause I already wrote it!

PHEW! Okay, hopefully that's everyone...much thanks again - and onwards! Please Review!

Final Revisions: Complete! :D


	15. XV: Blood Streaked Moon

XV.

Blood-Streaked Moon

* * *

Kagome ran into the trees without thinking, without a destination in mind, intent only on getting away from the questions, from the many answers that she could not give, from the panic and the terror and the agony that was rising up to consume her. But it was Inuyasha's place she came to, deep in the wood, the den he had made for himself, the place he stayed when the village was too much, an assault on sanity and senses. She could understand that now.

A branch heavy with flowers obscured the entrance, a profusion of white blossoms and blue-green clusters of leaves, a splash of sweet-sour fragrance. Swiftly, she ducked under them and darted into the first chamber. A scent that Kagome had known even with a human nose struck her like a hammer, and her eyes widened.

_Inuyasha - _

The knowledge came to her suddenly, in a terrible flood. When time and the wind had had their way, she would never find that scent again; it could not be renewed.

"He is dead, he is dead, he is dead!"

Like a sword, the wail parted the curtain and she felt the tears come, finally, hot and salt. They burned her eyes; her throat was tight with pain. The split that had been born in her thoughts the moment she had encountered Inuyasha's scent tangled in Shippou's blood moved together, acknowledging the anguish, the rightness of it. He had been her enemy, for a while - for a while, until he was dead. But before that he had been her first love, her almost-lover, and she was empty now of everything but grief.

The pain he had inflicted, the memory of words that had torn her, the loss of him, his attempted theft, the feel of his claws on her skin - they were faint against the years that had come before, as if they were two different lives that he had somehow lived in one body.

She had no proof, no knowledge; she had no way of ever finding out what the truth was but she felt in her heart that Inuyasha had been destroyed by Kikyou - by Kikyou, and not by her...just like the first time. It had been in his words, the last words he had spoken - that he had loved her best, her, _her_ - and she heard Kikyou's voice, and the lie in it, and knew that it had always been that way.

_I shouldn't have run, I shouldn't have believed it. Not for a second. Not even one. _

But she had. She had, and it was all over now - the fairy tale ended, come to its last page, _The End_, and there was no happily ever after.

* * *

Stumbling over roots in the dawn-shadows, Miroku followed her, and heard the keening sounds, the terrible wail. It bit into him, made him flinch - it was not a human sound - but he pushed forward under the branches, groping in the soft and scattered light that made its way past the leaves. He almost tripped over Kagome before he found her, and then he was kneeling next to her, making soothing noises. She held onto him, and she shook, and cried, and words burst out of her between heaving breaths.

"I killed him, I killed him, why did I kill him? I could have healed him just like Shippou - he loved me, he said. He loved me, but he died! Why? Inuyasha…Inuyasha…"

Miroku had no answers to offer, no comfort to give but his presence. He expected another terrible wail, but instead she began to quiet, drawing in deep, sobbing breaths.

In the long stillness after her cries, after her words, Miroku heard a shuffle of sound from behind them, from beyond a curtain that separated them from the cavern's other chamber. Footsteps approached them with a hollow echo, and Kagome's eyes lifted toward the sound, but Miroku let go of her, stood and took a single step forward, uncertain, as the curtain moved aside.

"Miro...ku..."

"Sango!"

The word exploded from Miroku's mouth, but even as he stepped forward and reached for her she fell, clutching at the curtain, pulling it down around her. She had seen the gold gleam behind him, the youkai strangeness in the other figure; it was all that made impression, awakening the fullness of her fear, her freshest memories.

Miroku was barely swift enough to catch her before her head hit the floor. As he lifted her, he felt sticky blood on her arms and swore under his breath.

"Kagome, Kagome, she is hurt – I can't tell how badly. We have to bring her back; I can carry her, but I don't want to leave you here."

She did not answer at first; Miroku lifted Sango, and stepped across to where Kagome was curled, knelt and then touched her shoulder gently.

"Kagome?"

The tears had freshened their flow; if Sango was hurt, if Sango was _here_, she knew who had done it. The thought might have lessened her guilt, but did not; she kept seeing his face, the blood - her eyes were drawn to her own hands, her robes; suddenly the scent of so much blood was sickening. She looked up at Miroku, saw his guilt and discomfort, his indecision - and he was right, he had to bring Sango back, see what was wrong, what had been done to her.

_What Inuyasha had done. What - Inuyasha - had - _

"Go, go, bring her, I…I am staying here, staying here..."

Miroku stepped away reluctantly and tightened his arms around Sango. Wet drops soaked his shoulders as he pushed aside the branches blocking the cave-mouth; it had begun to rain while they were inside. Drops pearled on the ends of leaves before they fell, and Miroku studied Sango's face in silence as he walked; her paleness, the bloodstains. He could see the long gashes in her arms, from her shoulders down nearly to her wrists.

He could not tell what she was dreaming, what she was thinking; when she woke he noticed, but she would not meet his eyes and she did not say a word, seemed content merely to press herself closer to his body, regardless of pain.

Behind them in the darkness, Kagome lay alone with her tears, but there was a displacement in her thoughts like an echo without a voice, and it called to her whole attention. It was that same offering of comfort, of calm; it was Sesshomaru. It was what she needed more than anything else; his closeness, his comfort.

She remembered that once before, he had held her as she cried, and it had been warm and strange and wonderful. She felt something similar now, stranger only because she knew he was not beside her. What did it mean; what did any of it mean?

She wanted to sleep, so that she could forget - but she was afraid of her dreams, of what they might make her remember.

In the quiet and the stillness, pressed down by Inuyasha's fading scent, the decision passed out of her hands, and out of her thoughts. Like fog, soft and delicate, sleep crept over her; it loosened her hands and relaxed the tightness of her body; it smoothed the panic and the pain away from her face, for a little while.

_For a little while..._

* * *

Sesshomaru stood under wet leaves, and stared at his brother's body. The deep wounds that Kagome's claws had made were ochre slashes, clotted in death; Inuyasha's eyes stared up sightless into the rain. Like a tear in his thoughts, there was a sudden assault of anxiety, of guilt, of longing – it was Kagome, feeling too much again, and he did not need to know how much she needed his brother. Anger threatened to choke him, forced words out of his mouth like spears towards his brother's flesh.

"You had to die, but you should not have hurt her. She is mine now, but do you see how well she cries for you?"

_I hate you._

He would never have an answer, or a response. His hand shot to his waist, drew his sword and held it still, pointed at his brother's motionless chest. An incoherent urge filled him; he wanted to tear Inuyasha to pieces, as if that could help. He wanted to bring him back and make him breathe again, so he could kill him himself, so much less gently than Kagome had.

The fact that Tenseiga had already failed to do such a thing once was immaterial; Inuyasha seemed to be smiling, a fitting smile, a smile with an edge of taunt in it.

At that moment, the rising tension in Sesshomaru's thoughts suddenly broke, like a taut rope cut in two, and with its passing he felt more at ease, more himself.

_Kagome. She is comforted. I owe the Houshi…much. _

But beyond just the release of her grief, there were other feelings, a thing he had not expected to find.

_She thinks of me; she wants me close._

Automatically, instinctively, his thoughts and his power reached out to her. The horrible thought that had been with him since the beginning of this mess backed out of his mind and began to dissipate. She would not turn from him; it was not Inuyasha she needed now. He lowered his eyes, looked down at his brother's body.

The smile no longer seemed taunting, only sad; the scent of death was cold and clinging.

"I understand, brother."

_I will have what I wanted._

"You still should not have had her first, Inuyasha."

There was not much left of the sunrise. Already, a faint purple was hovering over the edge of the sky, beneath the grey lightness of the clouds. Sesshomaru stood for a while, contemplating the deeds of his brother's life. He had never wanted to admit it, but they had been many, those deeds, worthy of his blood, their father's blood...before the madness.

When there was sunlight reaching behind the overcast sky instead of darkness, Sesshomaru knelt in the blood and the rain beside his brother and reached with claws as delicate as a physician's needles into his chest, between his gleaming ribs.

"You have laid this night under the stars, and now you will be covered. It is dawn, and the sun summons you."

They were old words; it was an old rite. He had been unable to do this for his father; his father, his flesh burned to ashes in human ruins, only the bones left, white, shining, enormous. For a moment, Sesshomaru closed his eyes, and then continued his task.

Inuyasha's heart still held warmth; respectfully, Sesshomaru lay the silent organ in the still hands, and closed the stiff fingers around it. Carefully, he lay the torn flesh back across his brother's open chest and cut a long strip of silk from the hem of his own haori, bound heart and hands together with it.

Slowly, he bent and lifted his brother's body; slower still, he turned towards the village.

* * *

The Houshi was waiting outside, and he, too, had bloody hands, but he smelled not of the boy, and not of Kagome, and not of Inuyasha.

_His woman. The Taijiya._

There was grimness on the Houshi's face, and the trailing scent of the woman whose blood had stained him was full of darkness.

"Sesshomaru-dono - "

There was a complete blankness of confusion on Miroku's face; Sesshomaru understood only too well.

"He is dead. He is my brother. While he lived, he was my foe, but now I will treat him with the respect he deserves."

It was something that Miroku had not expected, but it was also something he could understand.

"Kaede is binding Sango's wounds, Sesshomaru-dono. She said that after that, she would begin preparations for the funeral rites."

Something - he did not know what - made him continue.

"At that time, his family should be with him."

Sesshomaru did not answer, but Miroku could have sworn he saw a flash of gratitude in those passionless features.

The Daiyoukai turned and stepped into the house; blood had stained the pale curtain, rich and red.

The old woman was waiting for him, watching the door past the Taijiya, the woman of the bloody scent, whose wounds she was binding with pungent herbs and rough linen. The woman started with fear at the sight of him, but he ignored her; his focus was further in. A place had been made ready for Inuyasha, the ritual necessities laid out beside the fire. As he lay him down, the old miko turned towards him, and he saw surprise and unease on Kaede's face at the sight of his brother's heart bound in his hands, the dark, richer bloodstain.

"Do not forget he was half-youkai. You will bury him in the way of your people, but this, too, is right."

She could not argue; even if she had wanted to, the fury in his face stalled all her words.

Women came from the village, slowly, one at a time, and stayed to help Kaede. Sesshomaru wondered why these human women were so willing to aid in the funeral rights of a hanyou; he had no way of knowing how many times Inuyasha had saved these women and their husbands, their children.

Sango, too, came out of her dark corner, to watch if not to touch, to listen if not to speak. The women sang while Kaede dressed Inuyasha for death and chanted, beginning the death-ritual.

"It is light, it is darkness; it is dawn, it is the falling of the night."

The songs stopped. The women came into a circle around her, knelt and bowed their heads, stretched out their hands and answered her.

"It is the falling of the night."

Carefully, Kaede covered Inuyasha's eyes.

"From the long red darkness we come and thus it is that we go again. The essence is undone, the shape unraveled - into the darkness we go, and none return."

"Into the darkness, and none return."

Sesshomaru watched the women, Kaede's movements, felt himself strangely moved. The darkness, they said; and he had seen that darkness, when they had not - he had ventured into it, retrieving Rin who had been stolen.

_That darkness...is that where you are destined, Inuyasha? Is that where your soul has gone?_

He found himself vaguely surprised by a feeling of...pity. Yes, pity. Not only for his brother, but all these humans, fragile, doomed.

Kaede's response was followed by a wail full of woe, full of the knowledge that all submit in their turn. Minutes passed. One by one, in their own time, each of the women stood and walked outside, until Kaede was alone with the body, and Sesshomaru. Even Sango quietly stepped through the stained curtain.

Sadness and shock had made Kaede tired, a weariness that went deeper than her flesh.

_I feel…old. Old and tired. Ahh…too many burials, too many deaths._

She had always feared to see Inuyasha laid out this way in front of her; since Kagome had come, and awakened him, breaking the seal that had chained his flesh to the Goshinboku.

As she worked, wrapping Inuyasha for the grave, she felt Sesshomaru's eyes on her, heavy, uncomfortable, but he said nothing. He sat very still, very stiff, and did not speak, and kept his eyes mostly on his brother's face. She wondered what he was thinking, but could never have asked; she wondered if he, too, was grieving, but could not even bring herself to believe in the wonder.

The sun was shining through the spaces around her door-curtain; the morning was wearing away, and finally Kaede sat back and let her hands fall into her lap.

"It is finished; the next world awaits him."

* * *

It was early afternoon when the final preparations were ready; the only thing they were missing was Kagome - no one could find her. The humans of the village, Kaede included, were hesitant to approach Sesshomaru, despite the fact that they knew he would easily be capable of locating her. Just after the sun reached its high, Kaede cornered Miroku while the others were outside.

"We cannot leave him unburied, Miroku; we could wait another day, maybe even two in this cooler weather...but I wonder if it would do any good."

"Kaede?"

"Perhaps young Kagome does not wish to attend his burial. Perhaps that is why we cannot find her."

"No! Kaede, she may be a demon but she's still Kagome; she is terribly broken by what she has done, that's all. I have a feeling..."

"Miroku, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Ah..."

"Miroku!"

He gulped; he had been waiting all morning, while the villagers searched the rice paddies and the edge of the forest, for her to confront him.

He sighed.

"The truth is, Kaede, I know where Kagome is, unless she's gone somewhere since I left her at dawn. It's just...I know she wouldn't want to be disturbed right now, and most of these people..."

He lowered his voice.

"Most of these people were like strangers to her, Kaede...even _before._ We never stayed here for long, and she has been gone since the end of last winter. And with...how she has changed - "

It was Kaede's turn to sigh, but she still scowled at him.

"I understand - perhaps you are right. But next time, tell me first! This village is not so well-off that we can afford to waste an entire day in a frivolous search, for a girl who is not lost!"

Miroku held out a hand to restrain her as she turned away.

"Kaede, she is not a girl any longer. Not a girl, not a woman - still Kagome, though."

Her face seemed to crumple a little, turning inward.

"I know it, Miroku, I know it; but it is a hard thing for this old heart to bear. And now, with Inuyasha gone..."

"But we are still here, Kaede - Sango and I. It was you I came to, when she agreed to marry me, and it is here we plan to stay."

He smiled at her and then _he_ left, so that she could be alone. He had seen tears gathering in the old eye, flowing down to settle in the wrinkles of her face. He felt a little bit like crying himself; Inuyasha...a good friend, Inuyasha. And Kagome - he felt, in some small way, like she too had died, gone away from them forever. It was silly, he knew, but he couldn't help himself. He kept thinking of her as she had been the first time he saw her - and then, like remembering a nightmare, he would hear that horrible, grieving howl.

_Kagome_.

He spoke to himself out loud, his eyes trained on the forest.

"If she isn't back by sunset...I'll go get her then."

* * *

At the edge of the noon-dulled forest, staring up into an endless sky, Sesshomaru scowled at the distance between himself and his home and felt the beginning of an uprising in the land.

_Rin is home, waiting. I did not tell her I was leaving; she will be unhappy. _

He was powerless to stop the flowing power beneath him while he stood in that place, thinking, but his thoughts were deep and complex, of lives and deaths, seeking a balance point, somewhere there would not be an edge under his feet. He was thinking of Council, and trouble - trouble that had been growing, brewing, fermenting.

_Since Kagome came, and before – since I found Rin, I have been walking on the edge of a knife, back and forth. They fear me, but that is all, and that is not enough._

Kagome's presentation was more on his mind than anything else, and the session of Council he feared would follow – or the Challenge, which he would not have feared for himself, but did for her.

_They will Challenge her, all those fatuous females. Before her I would not have them – and after her, if there was 'after her', I would not, either. Silver and silk and sidelong glances, wine and whispers, long nights and long silences – I want none of it! Only she, who I have chosen –_

He was building himself to a fine flame of anger. With a deep breath, he stopped, and let the blackness flow out of him and into the night. If those he had carefully selected did their work, there would not be much to worry about. He knew Kagome had not been paying attention to the _whispers_ that had sprung up around her; there had been no time since her change to tell her of plans or possibilities – of difficulties or dangers.

_And there is Kinawai...Kinawai, who said he would return, and bring what he could collect of rumor and hearsay._

But thinking of Kinawai brought his thoughts back to Rin, because both might be waiting in the same place – and what might the messages be, the rumors? The urge was sudden and strong in him to dart out into the waving grass, through the trees to his own place, but he contained it. He could not go without Kagome, without a word – she would notice, and be worried.

It was time to go home, away from the noise and the stench of fear, that human scent. The kit was healing – Inuyasha would be buried – all too soon, the night of her presentation would be upon them. That, he could not delay.

_Yes, it is time to go home._

But Kagome was still grieving, though she was softer with it now, after these many hours– and Sesshomaru still had not figured out why he was beginning to walk and breathe and speak with accompanying sensations of futility for every action. The thought that had come to him like a steam-shadow was still with him, haunting him, taunting him. It clung to him with tenacious claws, and he could not shake them free no matter how much he tried.

It was the thought of a feeling; having never been in love, having never had a romantic thought, having never even been _close_, he still did not need to be told what it was, happening to him - or what it meant.

"Dangerous miko! I knew, I knew…"

He spoke aloud; only the trees listened, but could give him no answer.

_I have to ask her if she is coming home…or at least tell her that I must go back for Rin._

Having said it, he felt better about it, more decisive. If she would not come, he would bring the girl back with him, and he would wait. He would endure ages, even in this human village, if it would bring her back with him – as the presence of warmth which the cold stone had been missing, as the breath of answer to his desire, as his - mate.

_Damn you, Kinawai_.

She had taught him the difference between desire and duty; did she intend to educate him now as to the difference between lust, and longing? Already the lesson was penetrating; sharp, relentless. And he knew, too, that his life was shared now, no longer a thing belonging to himself alone. There was no hiding from the knowledge, and even while he stood there in silence under the leaves, it shook him, and lit his eyes, and darkened his face.

The day passed around him and by him; afternoon darkened to a grey twilight with dusky velvet edges; still he stood, not moving, barely breathing; he felt as thought he was waiting, but he could not have said for what.

* * *

In the village, the men and women who had gathered for Inuyasha's funeral feast were growing impatient as the sky grew darker. The morning's rain had faded but the air was still raw and damp, and even cooler now that the sun had fallen. Finally, a group of men approached Kaede and held a low and whispered conversation with her. Now, they were saying, or it would be too late; or should they wait until tomorrow? Kaede turned and searched through the small crowd for Kagome, and did not see her, and was not surprised in the least - but then she could not find Miroku, either, and that _was _surprising.

"Have any of you seen Miroku?"

"No, Kaede-sama - "

"I last saw him in the morning, Kaede-sama -"

"I have not seen him since we brought the body outside, Kaede-sama."

With a flutter of her hands, she silenced them, and let out a deep sigh.

"I suppose we will have to -"

A voice stopped them, young and shrill.

"Where are you going? You cannot go; Kagome isn't with you!"

In the window of Kaede's house, Shippou was leaning against the sill with his arm pressed tightly against his side, and Kaede froze, looking at him.

_How is that - kami protect us, he was dying, dying!_

There was a rustle from the tree line, and then Kaede turned because the villagers were drawing back with a murmur; Sesshomaru was behind her.

"He speaks the truth – I will find her, and bring her back. Kit, if you are not in bed where you belong, Kagome will not be happy. She brought you back from the edge of the abyss just this morning; you should not be up."

His words were enough to silence the woman, but not Shippou.

"If you're going to find Kagome, I'm going with you! Her scent is funny, I want to know what's going on!"

He let out a little _huff_ of pain, and Sesshomaru was by the window instantly. Carefully, he lifted the kit through it, stared at him. Unblinking, Shippou stared back.

"My blood has made you bold, kit. Very well - but you stay still, and quiet."

Wide-eyed, Shippou nodded, and Sesshomaru turned to Kaede.

Under his eyes, the men who had lifted his brother's bier lay it down.

"I will return momentarily."

He swept away into the trees, following Kagome's scent; on the way, he met the Houshi and sent him back. Miroku watched him continue onward, wondered if he should give warning about where, exactly, Sesshomaru was likely to find his _mate_.

_Probably not the best idea, actually. I'll go tell Kaede...that she's coming._

* * *

Kagome had not moved very far, only from one chamber of the small cave to the other. She had stepped outside long enough to toss away the fur and the curtain that were stained with Sango's blood, but other than that she did not move.

She stayed on the rock ledge and the furs that had been Inuyasha's bed, and slept fitfully, for quarters and halves of hours at a time. Sometimes she dreamt, and sometimes there was emptiness, and sometimes her eyes stayed open for minutes that ticked by like days, staring into the darkness full of tears.

She remembered all the times he had ever caught her, saved her, fought for her – every time she had ever bled for him, all the tears, all the smiles, so many words that they became a blur, all the tones of endearment, the sacrifices – but it all had been useless.

_We knew, we knew from the very beginning. Like how he would never touch me, except once, except once, almost – like how I thought I would die if I did not run, run away from the chance –_

The branches at the opening were moving; she could hear them rustling, caught their scent moving on the new draft of air as someone stepped inside. She stood, and then a voice halted her, rough with surprise.

"Kagome? You are here?"

_Sesshomaru._

Suddenly feeling warmer, safer, Kagome threw herself through the doorway. She half-intended to throw herself at him, too, to hold him tightly, to be reassured by his heartbeat – but when she saw him, she felt surprise tighten her eyebrows and couldn't restrain her voice.

"Shippou! Shippou…Sesshomaru, why did you take him out of bed, why would you -"

But she stopped talking, because Shippou's eyes were wide, wider than wide; he was staring at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head.

"Ka - Ka -Kagome? Kagome?"

She let out a little sigh, tried to smile for him.

"Yes, Shippou."

She saw his nose twitching, and his shock seemed to fade into curiosity.

"But you're...you're youkai now, Kagome!"

"Yes; but if you don't like it, then you should yell at Sesshomaru, because it's really his fault."

She leaned close to him, whispered the words conspiratorially. Looking at Shippou, hearing him talk, seeing him smile, made a great rent in the dark cloud that hung over her. Sesshomaru stepped close to her and allowed Shippou to slide out of his hands and into Kagome's. The kit endured her examination with good grace, his eyes on Sesshomaru's face, his explanation sure.

"I took myself out of bed, Kagome, so that's really _my_ fault. They are burying Inuyasha now – or they thought they were, until I stopped them, and he stopped them. They couldn't do it without you, and no one was paying attention. But I wanted to come find you, because I had to tell you something - a message."

"A...message?"

Sesshomaru stepped close and ran his hands over her shoulders, through her hair; he had seen her tremble, at the mention of Inuyasha's name. Carefully, he held her, the kit between them. Watching the two of them, the pulse of disordered scents in this place was no longer so difficult for Shippou to decipher, but he was more than a little confused. How could Kagome be the mate of Sesshomaru?

_And she is youkai now. Maybe she will be my okaa-san for real._

"From Inuyasha, Kagome. Do you remember when he transformed, and killed all those humans?"

She nodded, almost didn't trust herself to speak.

"Yes...I remember."

"After that, we were talking...it was night time, I think, while the rest of you were sleeping. He said that if he ever died before you, I should tell you thank you, for the promise you made him. He said...he said you would know which promise."

"Ah - ah -"

She was bending over without any will behind the movement at all; a strange, strangled sound escaped her, over and over again. If Sesshomaru had not been holding her, she would have fallen.

"Kagome, wait, Kagome! There was something else he told me – something important. I was awake, in the afternoon – I was listening to Miroku and Kaede talking. They said that you had been the one to kill Inuyasha -"

Horror imprinted itself on her features, that he should know this, that he should speak of it, but his voice continued on and dragged her with it.

"I know, I know, but that's why this is so important. He told me, when he was telling me to thank you...he told me that _that_ was what he wanted. That if he had to die, he wanted...he wanted you to kill him. He said that if he was _really_ selfish, he would ask you to kill him right then - because he was afraid that someday...someday he would hurt _you._ Or maybe he meant he would hurt you some other way, but - but don't be guilty, Kagome, don't feel... don't feel...so bad..."

She stood as though dazed, watched the tentative smile form on his face and fade, saw hope following. Very carefully, she cradled him, pressed her lips against his forehead. Sesshomaru allowed her a few minutes of silence, and then touched her cheek gently. She was crying again, but there was something different in her tears, something less despairing about them.

"There are things that need tending, mate. The funeral procession is waiting. Will you come, and say goodbye for the last time?"

From his warm spot between them, Shippou spoke up, interrupting him.

"They're going to bury him near the Goshinboku, Kagome, between the tree and the well."

She nodded, reached up with one hand to wipe tears off her face and then stopped short, stared at the rust-colored stain that had drenched her fingers.

"Yes. But I - I should wash first - "

"No."

Sesshomaru still her hand, held her red fingers up in front of his eyes.

"Bring his last heartbeats with you on your hands, mate. That is youkai custom; that is our way."

Again, Shippou spoke up, but this time Sesshomaru looked down on him with approval.

"Did you send him heart in hand, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Yes. That, too, is our way."

* * *

"The day is wearing on, the dew is faded – in the night, the moonlight carried you away. The image you bear now, we will all bear one day. Inuyasha, you were a hunter, a warrior, a worthy opponent. Inuyasha, who loved and was loved, who lived and is lost, we say farewell."

Kaede's words echoed between the trees, through the darkness. Even the children had come outside, even Shippou, who leaned on Sesshomaru but stood on his own two feet, watching the flickers of torchlight on Inuyasha's shrouded face, the curls of incense smoke moving like mist. The women held Kagome in their midst like a delicate flower, amid a cluster of waving, floating sleeves, at the center of a continuous hum of songs, of whispers, of lamentations.

Their singing was ending; the echoes still lingered on the forest path, uplifted memories sometimes no louder than a murmur, hymns for the virtue of the dead. It was Kagome's turn now, and they supported her in her grief, reminded her of the easing it would bring. They had brought her forward on the highest notes of their song, tender and cruel. There were no moments of silence, only a pure, clean transition, many voices becoming one voice, Kagome's death-song.

The villagers did not know the words - only Miroku, who found himself listening with tears in his eyes, could understand. He had heard the song before, whens he played music from her time; he knew it was sad...so sad.

_hontou ni taisetsu na mono igai subete sutete  
shimaetara ii no ni ne  
genjitsu wa tada zankoku de  
sonna toki itsu datte  
me o tojireba  
waratteru kimi ga iru_

_itsuka eien no nemuri ni tsuku hi made  
dou ka sono egao ga  
taema naku aru you ni_

_hito wa minna kanashii kara  
wasurete yuku ikimono dakedo_

_aisubeki mono no tame  
ai o kureru mono no tame dekiru koto_

There were other verses, other words; Miroku turned slightly to look at her when there was quiet, no continuation of the song. Her voice had swollen in her throat, and silenced itself; he could not blame her.

They were lowering Inuyasha into the ground. Sesshomaru stood beside Kaede at the head of the grave and did not speak, watching the silk-wrapped body laid down to its final rest. Kagome stayed in the same place with her mouth open and her eyes fixed, swaying.

Her lips moved, soundless, and then the Inu spoke for her, opening her grief. It was a howl that escaped her, pure, cold, a high and eerie keening.

Sesshomaru reached for her arm, and then stopped. From the trees, an echo had reached her first, the voices of wolves and wild dogs answering, offering solace to their demon kin. The sound wove back and forth between the trees in many tones, and Kagome fell silent, and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru was glad of the change, glad of the silence; the sound of her singing had been like a knife, a sword in his belly, but the sound of her howl was death.

He could not help but think that to lose him would not torment her in such a way – they were bound together only by his will and by desire, was that not so? The softness of her body and the softness of her smiles - neither counted against that sound!

He did not feel his face taking on bleak angles of despair. She came to him and reached for him but his thoughts were far away, even as he held her. He had his own howl in silence, very different in its nature. He knew, and no longer could deny the knowledge; she had accused him, and now he knew it was the truth. He was caring for her, his own mate. Had it been while he was watching her that it had happened; while she slept, or after? He did not know; he did not know!

He watched in silence as the earth was filled in over his brother, rich and black. For Kagome there was only weariness, ending a long stream of tears that she had not seemed aware of. She was tired, deeply, unbelievably tired. Without the pressure of her unspent grief to push her forward, sleep was closing on her like a heavy door; she could not move past it. Sesshomaru was there, holding her arm, her shoulders, guiding her, lifting her, carrying her – suddenly she felt safe again, felt as though she could forget. Like a child, she closed her eyes and turned off the world.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, that took longer to edit into a stand-alone chapter than I thought! The song is actually one of the ending themes for Inuyasha, third season, I think...Dearest, by Hamasaki Ayumi. Pretty song; fitting, I thought. Anyways, Please Review! More soon! really quick UPDATE: Wow, that pasting of song lyrics really didn't work; I've fixed it now, though, so only the Romaji is in the fic; translation below!

_It would be nice if we could put away and throw out  
everything except what really mattered, but _

_reality is just cruel_

_In such times,  
I see you laughing  
whenever I close my eyes._

_Until the day I reach eternal sleep,  
that smiling face will  
have to stay with me without fail_

_People are all sad, so  
they go and forget, but-_

_For that which I should love,  
For that which gives me love, I will do what I can._

Final Revisions, complete! Wow, this is actually...a really long chapter. Longest one yet, I think. I considered cutting it further, but since that would've just made the next chapter really long, there was no point. R&R!


	16. XVI: She And Her Darkness

XVI.

She And Her Darkness

* * *

The morning after Inuyasha's burial, Kagome had woken in bright light and then rolled over into a shadow. It had resolved itself into a shape - Sesshomaru, kneeling over her, his face strained but his fingers gentle on her lips.

"I cannot stay here, among them – I will see what is moving in the forest, and I will hunt, and then I will return."

He had given her nothing more than that, not reasons or promises, and Kagome had been surprised to find herself suddenly lonely without him, more empty of feeling than she had been before. Having fallen into deep water, she found herself with nowhere to go but up, and in the morning sunlight, watching him speed away from her, she had thought that without Sesshomaru to watch over them, lingering behind her footsteps, the people she had known might come back and reach out to her.

By the next day, she had almost given up hope. Sesshomaru was a danger for which they were prepared, if not accustomed. He was youkai, a lord, someone to be feared. But she herself had changed beyond all recognition, and they could not accept the difference.

It had been enough to pull her away from them when she had been only miko. To be miko, _and_ youkai – to return with a name, only, and nothing else the same?

In Sango's eyes there was wariness, in Miroku a ticking anger that she did not understand but which peered out of the corners of his eyes at her when he thought she was not looking. Only Shippou had not changed toward her, acted no differently. Even from Kaede, there was now a strange reverence, a subservience in her attitude, in the way she refused to look up, refused to meet Kagome's eyes.

So, alone, she waited for the night to come again, hoping Sesshomaru would return, sitting in the place where she once had sat with Inuyasha. The angry hurt she had expected was a soft burn, more like the memory of pain than pain itself.

_I started grieving the moment I turned away from him, the moment I left. Now that he is dead, maybe...maybe it will be better. _

She had spent the day with Shippou; she had told him how much his words had meant to her; how much they helped. When she had first fallen through the well she would have been horrified by the thought of someone asking her for death; now, it was a comfort. She did not find it strange, that he had said such a thing; she had seen his eyes, the terror in them, the horror - she had tried to comfort him, and had known herself to be only partially successful.

The danger had been real, all too real...they had all known it.

There were other difficulties, though, other worries running through her thoughts.

_If only Miroku and Sango were not so…so…_

She saw ahead of her a life of silences, of avoided eyes and soft apologies, and was angry with a passion that shocked her, made her shake. The new intensity of her own emotions she had yet to come to terms with; the night air was damp and clung to her lungs as she breathed deeply and tried to rationalize the pain.

_Time, time, with time they will see that I am not someone to fear, that I am not dangerous, that I…_

Footsteps silenced her thoughts, caught her attention. There was sharpness in them, care being taken with the placement of each foot, avoiding the dry ground, stepping on grasses that folded and sprang back with a soft _wshhh _under the voice of the wind.

"I thought you would be out here. You always used to come sit with Inuyasha out here, in the summer. Will you...will you tell me, Kagome, how you have changed?"

The words floated out of the darkness and fell onto her. Miroku stepped out of the shadows that had cloaked everything but his footsteps and his scent, and she turned aside, hiding her face. The intensity of his gaze disturbed her, the caution he took with her now in every word.

"Is there something about my change you cannot see, Miroku? I am youkai now, my life is not what it was."

He ran a hand back through his hair, let his head fall back onto his shoulders. Some of the reserve seemed to leave him, replaced by resentment. He came and sat beside her, leaned back onto his elbows.

"Not what it was? Your skin is different, your eyes, even the color of your hair. More and more I keep thinking, is that all that is changed? The outside things, the way you move?"

Self-conscious now, Kagome drew her hair through her fingers and still did not meet his eyes. His questions touched on unease that had kept her on edge since the moment she had come back to this place, with its human memories. In Sesshomaru's fortress, it was easier to forget, to try and pretend that she had always been this way, that nothing was different.

"If that was all it was, it would be easy, wouldn't it, Miroku?"

Her fingers had twisted her hair into a rope, a lifeline, but her voice took on a sharper edge, puncturing his offered excuses.

"You don't really want to know about me, changing. You heard what I told Kaede...I don't really know why, how..."

She shook her head.

"You want...you want to know about me and...and...Sesshomaru – you want to know about Sesshomaru."

As if stung, Miroku scrambled off the ground. He bit off his words in her direction, but his eyes glared blankly into the dark.

"I heard you – I heard _him_. Mate, he said. I know what that means, what that makes you. It is not Sesshomaru that interests me, it's you! You are more than just youkai now, _Kagome-dono_."

She heard raw mocking in his voice and it scalded her.

"Miroku – don't – "

"Don't? I wondered, worried, not knowing where you were after you left us, not knowing if you lived or had died, if you had gone under the mountains or over them, or through them like smoke. You left us nothing, _nothing_ to say why, or where – there was only the silence and the wind, and dust. We thought you might have left us - that you might have gone home. We thought - we thought you might have died, but we didn't know! We didn't know, Kagome!"

She swallowed, and he saw tears beginning to line her eyes again, felt horrible about them but couldn't stop himself.

"And when I could think about it, when I realized that Sango had been the only one with her eyes open, the only one watching, I asked her – and she would say nothing, not to me or to Shippou, and she wouldn't even look at Inuyasha…and then he, too, left us. It was cold, very cold, walking through the end of the winter. If we had not had Shippou with us to scent the track, and Kirara to follow it, we would not have survived – and even with them, it was not easy. But now you are here, so well, so changed – clinging tightly to your _mate_. Why, why? Did you think it would matter at all – at all? You are still our Kagome - we still love you, Kagome, so why -"

Her eyes widened, hearing pain in his voice, many worries, many sleepless nights. Suddenly she was grateful for his anger, for the love that it showed.

_He is still -_

"You were my friend, my _friend_, Kagome! The Kazaana was like a dark hole I was being lowered into, bottomless, endless, hopeless. I don't want to think what it would have been like if I had found you that day, so open, so cheerful, like a bright light in front of my eyes."

Falling silent, he paced back and forth over the grass in front of her. His hair was on end where he had ruffled it, his eyes more than a little wild. Kagome could not even answer him, compelled to silence by the cold, clutching fist in her chest. It made her pant, darkened the corners of her eyes. When she could speak, she could not look at him; she knew what he would see – the demon, the Inu – and did not want him to see it.

"You don't understand, Miroku. I have been – this change – it has not been many days. Not many days at all. I was sleeping, sleeping...it was the end of summer, and Sesshomaru found me; I was alone before that. We traveled together; I promised...I promised I would bring him back here, to Inuyasha. I meant to come back, Miroku! But I was wounded, and he healed me...and after…after, he _took_ me – and that…I – this is what I am, Miroku. No – it is what I was, what I was always was. He said that, to me. Before, and after, I am his, you see? It cannot be changed, it cannot be undone. I did not – I did not _not_ come back. Not because I didn't want to, at least. It was only…"

She sighed a quivering sigh, but her eyes stayed dry.

"Inuyasha. I saw...I saw him with Kikyou, when Naraku was dead. I think - I think she did something to him, Miroku, but it's still all my fault. He tried to take the jewel from me, he tried...he tried to _kill_ me - I should not have left you but I could not stay. Not with him…that way. How could I fight him? I gave all that I had to purify Naraku, to make the shikon no tama whole. There was nothing left..."

She took a deep breath, dashed tears out of her eyes with the back of her hand.

"You shouldn't blame Sango, though, Miroku. She was barely even conscious, I...I gave Shippou to her, told her to take care of him and then I ran. As fast, as far as I could, I ran; I had just barely enough power left to stun Inuyasha - I did not stop running until I thought I would die if I took another step. I wandered for a while, lost, and then...I started walking, one day - must have been the middle of spring - and I didn't look back. I was...I was afraid."

He was watching her in silence now, still, his arms crossed. The rough ends of his hair crossed over his eyes, hid them with shadow so she could not see his expression.

"I'm sorry, Miroku. I'm sorry."

Her voice came out thick; she hadn't expected this anger in him, and couldn't understand why she hadn't. Of course he would be angry; he had more right, in a way, than any of the others.

_Except Shippou..._

But Shippou was too happy with her return to be angry. Miroku had come with them before Sango; Miroku she had been close to, because he had a tendency to speak wisely and because at first, he had wanted her - until Inuyasha made it clear that she was not to be wanted.

_What did I do? I should never - I should never have - _

The agony came out into her expression, and Miroku saw it. Suddenly he regretted his words - not all of them, but many.

_She is grieving, still grieving, and I am being horrible. _

"No, Kagome, no, don't pay attention to me. It is my turn to be sorry – I was angry, but you shouldn't regret anything. Do you understand, Kagome? _Anything_. I came for my own quest, don't forget that – and I wouldn't change a moment of that journey, nor erase a minute of our time together. _You_ killed Naraku - _you_ saved my life."

His voice hardened suddenly.

"But if Sesshomaru _took _you, if you think it can't be changed – well, you must be wrong. There is a way out of anything; even youkai lords will die if a miko-"

"Miroku! You are wrong, so wrong. He took me because that is the way, his way - _our_ way. The youkai way. "

Her cheeks flushed, but she pushed the words out anyway, turning away her face, hiding in her hair.

_This is Miroku_, _no need to be embarrassed - _

"I ran for him, so he would Chase me. That was the day...that was the thing that brought the awakening over me. He was the one…he was the one who _changed_ me."

A soft, soft smile hovered on her mouth. Miroku saw it, and was shocked pale. It was bad enough to be disturbed by her effortless grace, the way she spoke softly now, the flicker of her tongue against her lips, her fangs – the fangs! He was uneasy with the sensuality of her presence when she spoke of Sesshomaru; he had seen it in her before, very rarely, when Inuyasha was acting a certain way - but this! It was...constant. Frightening.

"You…you _are _changed, Kagome."

The smile was fading from her lips, turning to wistful sadness.

"I cannot regret it, Miroku. Is that bad? You say I shouldn't, but...I cannot return to my own life, my friends. Sesshomaru said – when he told me what was in me - that I could never go back. But I _wanted_ this, I wanted to know my own secrets - I wanted...to have some of the strength, the power, that always made me breathless. I wanted it...I wanted - _him_. _Sesshomaru_ - "

And wide-eyed, open-mouthed at her own thoughts, her own feelings, she stood, and backed away from him. Inuyasha was dead, but her heart had been broken long before he breathed his last; it was already testing, adjusting, feeling out the spaces of her new pain, the open places where old things had faded, and changed.

"Kagome…"

"I - I'm really sorry, Miroku - "

She took two more steps, and then she was gone. Breathless, Miroku could only stare at nothing, trying to understand. Someone looked out at him from her eyes that he did not know, behind the woman who was his friend.

For a moment, he tried to imagine what it would be like, and could not. Speed, and power, a hurtling Beast in his own flesh – 'I wanted it', she said. 'I wanted _him_', she said – and fled.

He could not know that it was not muscles that moved her, but memory – that it was the acceptance she had lost that she regretted, and not the humanity – that she had scattered her own heartbeat with the words that had so scattered him.

* * *

"Miroku?"

He was standing still, staring out at the grass where Kagome had run, at the edge of the trees beyond which she had disappeared.

"Miroku? Are you...okay?"

"Sango! I'm fine, I was just thinking...sorry, you haven't been standing there long, have you?"

She shook her head.

"No. Not long - you looked...distracted. What were you thinking about?"

He shrugged faintly.

"Nothing much..."

_About how much of an ass I was, that's what..._

The thought gave his features a rueful cast.

"How are you feeling, Sango? Those wounds - they won't give you any trouble?"

"I was lucky, Kaede said. The wounds were superficial, just enough to make me bleed, not to damage any muscles, or...or..."

Her face - her face! So empty...

"Sango!"

He had seen this expression on her many times since their last battle - since Naraku's death, and Kohaku's...since Kagome and Inuyasha had left, one after the other.

_It took her so long to look up, and this...somehow, this has made it worse. I don't understand..._

When she had seen Shippou, and realized that he had lived, that she need not feel responsible for his death, she had been better...for a few hours. Now that the burying was over, now that a few days had passed and she was beginning to heal, he did not understand what was wrong with her.

"I'm sorry, Miroku. I just feel...alone now, I guess. I had accepted that Kohaku was gone, that he would probably die. It was still hard when it happened, so hard...but I had accepted it. And now Inuyasha is dead, dead by Kagome's own hands."

She took in a deep, shuddering breath.

"Sango..."

He looked at her from beneath his eyebrows.

"Do you want to tell me what happened, Sango? You've seemed...distant, so I -"

"What happened?"

She shuddered, wrapped her arms around herself tightly and then gasped from the pain.

"What happened...was not much. I did not come in time to see how he found Shippou; I saw him hit him, claw him, once, and then I threw Hiraikotsu to protect him."

She swallowed, took a slow breath.

"As soon as I saw Kikyou...I knew I had no chance of bringing him back to himself. I think...I think -"

He nodded.

"I know. Kagome thinks the same thing; I cannot argue, but the truth is we will never prove it one way or the other. Even Tetsusaiga rejected him at the end; he may have given in too fully to the inner demon."

Sango looked stricken.

"Tetsusaiga rejected him?"

He nodded; she passed a hand across her forehead.

"No hope...no hope..."

She seemed to shake herself, and then continued where she had left off.

"But - she talked at me, Kikyou. Tried to convince me how right she was! How much good she could accomplish...and Inuyasha - Inuyasha - "

She could not say what he had done, what she had been afraid he would do; the feeling of his tongue on her rushing blood -

She was overcome by a sudden wave of nausea, dizziness -

"Sango - he didn't - "

"No! No...I think he cut me so he could taste my blood; Kikyou told him to bring me, she wanted to use me as bait, I think, to catch Kagome - and then...I remember looking up, and back, and realizing that my head was bleeding, and then - nothing."

She shook her head.

"I woke up once, and I was in that cave; but they were there, the two of them; he was kneeling at her feet, like a dog; like she was a temple image, and he was worshiping the idol of her image -"

Sango shuddered, and Miroku stroked her back gently.

"Then she did something to me, some smoke, some herb, and I slept again. There was nothing, until I woke, and heard voices, and I knew it was you - "

She took a deep breath and suddenly there was something near hysteria in her eyes, tightening her features.

"And our Kagome, Miroku - our Kagome...!"

"She isn't ours any more, Sango -"

"Exactly!"

The word was half wail.

"She belongs to Sesshomaru; she says it herself. I - I'm afraid of her, Miroku! Me, afraid of Kagome! It's...it's so ridiculous!"

She leaned forward a little, pressed her hands over her eyes. Miroku reached out and shook her; he was deeply disturbed. As she said it, he couldn't help but recognize that he had had that same feeling; that same fear! Looking at her, in the night - being aware of her presence; seeing the red shimmer of those youkai eyes! But he had been more angry than afraid, and she had borne out his belief in her...

_In her what? Her...humanity? Yes. Because..._

"She cried, Sango, she cried so much...that Inuyasha was dead. She is still Kagome! She is different, but she is still Kagome. Do you know how I know, Sango?"

She let out a deep sigh, shook her head.

"No, Miroku. I don't."

"Because if she were to hear you now, know that you were afraid of her, she would feel no delight, no pleasure. She would be hurt, because I can tell that she doesn't yet understand what the change in her means. However hard it is for us, it must be a thousand times worse for her! I was talking to her; I was angry, I yelled at her - "

"Miroku! That's dangerous!"

"No! She _ran away_, Sango! She apologized, so fervently...and then she ran away!"

Sango sat up suddenly straight, and he could tell that she was replaying in her mind the snippets of this new Kagome that she had seen.

"Oh - oh..."

"You see? Sango..."

He shook his head.

"You aren't alone, you won't ever be alone again. I'm with you - I'm going to marry you, Sango."

He smiled; she blushed.

"And we don't have to worry about Kagome anymore; she isn't going back to the future and she is more than capable of protecting herself; or Sesshomaru is. You have seen him now - he's not quite the same when Inuyasha isn't around, and..."

"What? What is it, Miroku?"

There was a very strange expression on his face; she couldn't quite interpret it.

"I think - I think he might actually _care_ for her. If you watch him very carefully - if you look at him when he is near her."

"Well, I haven't really had a chance. But really - do you think that's even possible?"

He shrugged.

"Who knows? After all...this is Kagome we're talking about."

Sango smiled, a full, clear smile, and Miroku let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"Yes. Kagome."

* * *

As she ran, Kagome felt the wind burn her cheeks over the vivid blush she knew she must be wearing. What was she thinking?

_Even if it was Miroku!_

She had never intended to deny her desire, but there was more to her feelings than that; she did not know what to do with them, did not know whether to think about them or try to cut them out of her heart. What would be the point, after all - caring for Sesshomaru?

He had taken her because instinct worked on him - on both of them. He was keeping her because of that same desire, because of its power over him...and maybe because she, herself, was power. The memory of the accusation she had made in anger came back to her, and she cringed internally; what had she been _thinking_?

_What hold do I have over him? Is there anything besides my blood he wants, anything besides my blood that I can offer?_

She tried not to think of it, or what the thoughts themselves implied. It couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't matter. She was still Kagome, even if he had made her youkai; still Kagome, so why would he want her?

_Why? Why would he want me?_

She could not help remembering, though, the burning force of his voice around those words, the words he liked so much, it seemed.

_"You are mine."_

Would he say such things if it was not what he wanted?

He was...Sesshomaru.

She did not think so.

* * *

Like thunder at ground level, a crackling sound sped across Sesshomaru's lands with the fall of evening. The radiance was almost visible, a blue shimmer, liquid like moonlight. A dome of lightless glow had risen over his fortress, and it stuck in the eyes for a long minute before it collapsed. Nothing remained behind but the presence of energy, but that was enough; in front of the Gate, packed for travel and watching in all directions with wide eyes, Rin was waiting.

Her face was turned towards the southwest, the direction her instinct told her Sesshomaru had gone, but she was not happy, not happy at all. As she watched, she turned from south to north, from west to east – as the sunset overtook the sky with a particular autumn radiance, she saw a figure outlined darkly on the plain, against the red edge of light.

_That is not Sesshomaru-sama. Who else would be coming here now? We are not expecting visitors, or I am not told…if Sesshomaru-sama has a secret, maybe?_

With careful wariness that had been thoroughly trained into her, she slipped to one side and felt herself surrounded by coolness, protected by the nothingness of those who served. Alone and gradually growing in distinctive features, the runner came swiftly closer, troubled by his own thoughts and almost as unhappy as the girl.

The runner was Kinawai, and in the snowy darkness of his own home, far enough north that winter was already howling, he had gathered rumor and gossip and whispers until his ears were full – more than full, overflowing. Those he trusted to bring back unfettered reports were grown fewer; three had not returned this season, though he could not be certain of where they had disappeared. His mother's kin spoke of 'a summons for wings willing to move in darkness'.

No one gave him a reason, or a destination, but such cryptic warnings alarmed his sense of caution. He felt strange awakenings in his land, and many questions brought back the same answer, an empty answer.

"_No one knows!_"

It was the cry off many tongues, and he was restrained in his actions by the need to make no overt signs of his intention – by Sesshomaru's request for silence on certain matters and his own feeling that too much revelation would, at this point, be worse than unwise.

For someone, it would be deadly.

He was beginning to suspect vengeance on a massive scale, and silently, through a day of seclusion, he had made his plans and kept them to himself. He wanted no repetition of his earlier visit, did not intend to arouse the Inu from its sleep in Sesshomaru with Kasuka's presence – and only when he was far from home, nearly at his destination, had he realized she had not been there at all, that he had not seen or spoken with her in days... not since he had first brought her to Sesshomaru in the first place. It did not worry him – it was best, all things considered, that she spend her time far away from him, especially now.

The further south he had traveled, the more the land seemed to be melting, and he ran at his ease, observing the tension, remembering the feeling that was attached to it, and where it came from. So he was not surprised when he came to the Gate and found silence. It was only for a moment; then there was a not-quite-rustling from behind him and somewhat to the left – the girl appeared, as if from thin air, and hurried forward, bowed quickly.

"Rin was hiding, because Sesshomaru-sama is not home and you are not Sesshomaru-sama! Rin did not know you were coming."

She smiled uncertainly, waiting, but he said nothing, only continued to watch her and then stepped towards the gate, laid his hand on it. Blue fire reached out, embraced his flesh, tugging, pulling – he stepped away sharply and watched with interest as bloody welts stopped their red weeping and their edges reached for each other.

"Please, Kinawai-sama – Sesshomaru-sama is not here now. It is not safe. Sesshomaru-sama and Kagome-sama… they were gone very suddenly and did not tell Rin why, but that was evening three days ago. It is not yet that time – but soon it will be night."

Kinawai heard more than a ripple of unease in her tone, more like a current, the first he had ever heard there – and it disturbed him, though he would not admit it. Where was there for Sesshomaru to go, and with the woman? No – the thought came to him at once, and he smiled grimly despite the girl. The female – not the woman. Where would he go with the female?

"Tell me, girl – what is so important about three days? What is it that happens when he is not here?"

He had had conversations on the subject before with Sesshomaru, and it was not an imperative question, but he could not ask the main questions in his thoughts – not of this girl, who obviously did not know the answers. But even now, the girl was shaking her head, and her eyes moved continuously, from corner to crevice, crevice to wall-shadow, everywhere near them.

"Sesshomaru-sama only told Rin once, that there was death in the stones, death in the ground. He said "If anyone enters once the limit of days is challenged – " if that happened, he said, it was death. I did not understand, either, until the first time Rin saw it awake. That was just like now, but Rin's blood is Rin's, and I will not give it up!"

Kinawai shook his head.

"Girl, your manner of speech is confusing."

She had been speaking, though, not only to him - that last shout had been for the walls behind them, the tingle in the grass, the blue fire in the gate.

"If he does not come back, where are you going, girl? You are ready for travel, but you are too small and human to go far alone."

For the second time in his life, but not the last, Kinawai saw a demon expression on a human face, and was struck dumb by it. That she was immune to the fear of Sesshomaru which came to everyone else naturally, he had accepted – that she should be eager for the approach of other dangers, that she should have a flashing smile for them, he would not have believed possible.  
_  
Is that why he keeps her?_

The definition was there for him, waiting – to be human was to be afraid. What did that mean for the girl? She was watching him thoughtfully; she answered him fully but only when she had formed her answer completely in her thoughts.

"I will stay here outside the gate, until the morning. If Sesshomaru-sama does not come, I will travel with _them_, and in one more day, I will be in the Den, and I will be waiting there. But it has not happened before- Sesshomaru-sama does not forget about Rin!"

"No, girl, I don't think he does – but things are changing, moving – dangerous things. I will not wait here; I have a hunting urge, and I will pass this way again before many hours have passed. If he comes here before me, tell him I came – that I will come back, and hopefully he will find it _convenient_."

He smiled thinly, and shook his head, but the girl only blinked at him and turned her head first one way, and then the other.

"Rin will give Sesshomaru-sama your message, when he comes back, but Rin does not think he will be long."

She looked up at the sky, at the velvet purple creeping towards the fading fire on the horizon.

"The moon will be up soon – I do not think he will be long."

For her sake Kinawai hoped that she was right, but he was somewhat annoyed that Sesshomaru had picked such a time to disappear - and the girl...the girl was very odd.

Rin was thinking the same thing about him, but in less specific terms. Despite the guardian that had taken her in, she still did not have much experience with youkai; even so, she thought Kinawai's behavior different, difficult.

He turned away, and ran off in the direction he had come. With blithe assurance she had told him '_Sesshomaru-sama does not forget!_' but already she was shut out of home. It had been many seasons since she had been left alone in the Den, to wait and practice breathing quietly and running on tiptoe.

_Never alone, really, but Rin cannot play, or talk to _them!

She had felt the tingle of awakening warning in the air many times, like an unspoken promise – there was nothing quiet like that now, only the sharp focusing of the force that waited, even as she did, for Sesshomaru's will.

_Do not forget me, Sesshomaru-sama. Please? _

* * *

A/N: And back to more regular length chapters! If it weren't such a pain, I would probably edit out part of the last chapter and make it the beginning of this one, but...I'll just leave one really long chapter for now. Anyway, ta-da! Chapter 16...a little time for everyone, and everyone in their own time! Coming Soon: More Fun With Sesshomaru, and A Bad Guy and Kouga Make Their Appearance! And now...reviews!

Lunarcat12: Ahh I know, sorry, sorry - I was really afraid these last two chapters were too long, but...eh...back to normal now, though! And Sango is no longer stuck in a cave! Poor Sango...and more thanks for second review! Don't worry, the angst is going to start to clear itself up now!

Caitibug323: Everyone was missing Sango! She's back now, though! And extra thanks for second review; I know it's been angsty for a few chapters but I get really annoyed when someone dies, and then the next chapter its like...okay, back to comic relief! But Kagome is slowly beginning to recognize that there's only one person who can help her now, and we all know who that is!

AngelaPage: Much thanks! Behold, continuing chapter!

Kouga's Older Woman: Exactly! They're not all dead, and they'll get used to the fact that she's youkai eventually...I mean, for Shippou, it's probably like a dream come true!

Raksha65: Updates on demand! Faster than a speeding bullet, and all that stuff! Ta-da!

ChaoticReverie: You know, the thought had occurred to me - pitchforks and farm tools and angry mobs, oh my! Ha! Much thanks for your compliments; I really wanted to give these characters some believable reactions, even if they're fantasy...so it's good to know I succeeded!

Ichisakuraki: I couldn't help it! It's one thing for Rin and Kagome to refer to him more familiarly, but for Miroku and Sango he's sort of...up there...heh. And See! At least ONE person understands; Kagome had to do it, had to...as much as she wouldn't want to. I'll tell you a secret, though - I was totally tempted to have the ghost of Inuyasha come back and become comic relief. Ahhh it was so funny in my head, but of course I won't really do that!

Final Revisions...Complete! :D


	17. XVII: Severed Dreams

XVII.

Severed Dreams

* * *

From a time when she had been very small, Kasuka, mate of Kinawai, remembered that there was a such thing as warmth. It had moved in her, and surrounded her, until the day had come - long before, now - when the overthrown House of her father had been exiled to the frozen North.

Her dreams were nightmares, bounded by ice and the creaking winds, the bleak outlines of bare trees with their arms full of snow. The cold taunted her, and she stared out the window across from her bed with angry eyes. Flakes of blank white were battered by high altitude winds and then surrendered to the long drift of the sky, the pull of the earth. The clear glass did not hold back the whole of the storm; the wail of wind and the grating of ice climbed screeching over her ears.

_In the spring, it is winter here, and in the summer and the autumn. The long rains will begin soon in the south..._

With a gentle flick of one claw, Kasuka undid the latch. The wind would not wait for her, but grasped the edge of the opened pane and flung it back sharply. A pale tornado of sucking snow whirled around her, frosted her cheeks and the stray wisps of her hair. The cold bit into her with fangs sharper than her own, but it cleared her thoughts. The fractures of information she had gathered and the movements of many rumors arranged themselves into a delicate pattern, crystallized like the snow - her own mate, the dog he insisted on _visiting_; the human woman she had seen there, in the West; the woman Kinawai had drawn her attention to...

Kasuka found herself thinking suddenly that she could overlay onto that pattern whatever of her own desires she chose. Kinawai lingered in the West; either he had come, and gone, or he had not yet returned to this place, their own home.

There was talk, too, of Sesshomaru's brother and the various courses he had taken; those whispers continued in the highest circles; they moved softly, but swiftly, among lords and villages alike.

Despite these weaknesses, despite the towering, swaying array of things that hung over the dog's head, he continued to do what he wanted; only two Challenges, since he had decided to take a human girl-child as his follower; only two!

_No one moves against him – not even my own people! It is the memory of his father that restrains them!_

Sudden laughter rose in her throat like a boil, and stuck there. In the old days, the days of her grandsire's rule and before, the clans of the Dragon had stayed strong together, remembering that they were all one House, the many clans all truly one Family...and the dog and his get had slept calmly at her grandsire's feet, not daring to shake his chain or bare an unruly fang.

Kinawai did not know, did not care, did not understand. He was only half-Dragon; his mother's blood was weak in him and it was the Cat that had primacy. The Tiger in him lazed in the ice, and his passions were cool. He had no sleeping pride in his ancient heritage, his ancient House; he was a useless tool, like a blunt sword.

_Of all the Lords, of all the Houses, High and low, only the dog acts as the memory of those days tells me it was – and he is my enemy!_

Her own people would not move in the right direction, no longer hungered for the old glories in the same way. The strength was leaving them, as though they wearied of their flesh even as they were born into it. This, more than all other things, Kasuka did not understand. They were Dragons, and what better life was there to live than that?

Maybe it was because the hope had left them; because the dog and his kin, once arisen, could not be stopped. That dog...the Inu no Taisho. And now, his sons; Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha - the dangerous one, and the half-breed.

Her thoughts fumed.

That lost hope - it was why she had come to Kinawai. As the last descendant of the High House, the last Lord of the House of Blades, she had expected him to have _some _interest in restoring their House to its former glory...but in the long seasons after she had come to him and become his mate, when she asked for his aid in restoring the line of the Dragonlord, he had laughed. Laughed!

_"Who would you set in the High seat now, Kasuka? Not I! I will not sit there. The one most worthy is too young for such a trial, and he is no friend of yours."_

She had almost reached out for him then, seeking blood; she had known he was speaking of the dog!

"_Put those thoughts to bed. The days of the Dragonlord are gone. They are gone, and they will not return._"

Since that day, she had struggled alone, secretly, and her eyes took in the many ways in which her own mate betrayed her. Nearly five hundred years she had been his mate now, and she had not bred him any heir. He did not even know she kept the sacred change of her Dragon self from him; he did not have the strength to force it over her, to draw a Tiger out of her blood. He was the last son of the House of Blades, but she remained its daughter, closer to the source than he - her deepest secret, the secret she shared only with the truest relatives of her blood still alive...excepting her mother, of course.

_Mother._

The thought was a snarl. More than half of Kasuka's difficulties could be attributed to her mother, to her lack of interest in restoring the severed bloodlines.

_Just like Kinawai!_

Because of her mother, and her extraordinary _influence_, it had been more than three hundred years since her Dragon kin had dared to act, and then they had only set the stage for the slaying of the Inu no Taisho; even so, the loss among her kin had been tremendous, the cost almost more than they could afford to pay - and then, the vengeance of the son! The son, whose name she had not yet even known - Sesshomaru, whose name had haunted her ever since, prolonging her vengeance with his own. Treachery, he cried; before the Council, before her own mate! As if humans, without help, could ever be responsible for the death of the Inu no Taisho -

And then the truth had come out, one sordid, bloody piece at a time. Not just treachery - betrayal on the highest scale, a forced battle - the sealed body of his foe had remained, a silent testament to his will. The informant; the humans. Their weapons had been brought forth as evidence...as had knowledge of the final circumstances of the old dog's death.

Kinawai, with hardly a second thought, had agreed - as had the others. Treachery, indeed; so vengeance was due. And so many had been slaughtered, because of that - that pup!

The taste of victory over the father had grown bitter with time, since the deaths that had followed it and the way her vision of events had been twisted by the son. He was too strong, that one; it was unnatural.  
She had heard the stories from those who had seen it with their own eyes; Sesshomaru, the unawakened Inu-pup, had called out the Change, the shape of the beast. She did not remember such a thing happening before, and her memory was long.

_So here I am, with Kinawai, like a prisoner in the ice._

She knew that he did not keep her because of feeling, or desire; he kept her because it was easier, because it was simpler to hold her and thus keep the heartbeat of the many-headed Dragon low, holding the faceted reins with one hand and thrusting her forward to distract them with the other. That she was used was galling; she was the one who used others – this reversal was not right. And he did not know - _did not_ _know_ -why it was that she had that power; the power to hold them all still. Surely he suspected _something_, but she had never offered him more than a hint of the truth.

Lately, she had taken to staying out of his sight; she had moved on her own paths, calling quietly to those she knew would listen - a display of power here, a word there...so that her allies were moving. From what she had seen of her enemy, the time was more than ripe.

A stronger gust of wind splashed her with snow, and she breathed deeply, feeling the cold crackle in her lungs and tighten the skin on her bare arms.

"I will remind them all of heat - they will remember that they are Dragons! There remains no other choice."

Her voice swirled out into the snow; her eyes followed it, north...north. In a dark place, there was a secret whose truth she could touch. She had waited through the silence of countless seasons, and it was past time…past time.

Thinking this, she could not restrain her laughter, and it rode out on the wind and beat against the windows, scattering to taunt many ears.

On the wall, a pair of youkai on guard turned their heads away from the outside, searching inward with bright eyes. One spoke, suddenly uneasy.

"The wind is high tonight, Masumi-san."

And his companion, his Captain, lifted an ear to the wind, listening, and then shook his head and turned back towards the darkness beyond the wall and the snow-lined smile of glittering pines.

"That is not the wind."

* * *

Among the trees, drawn by scent and instinct, Kagome found Sesshomaru watching the waxing moon, his eyes lifted over the edge of the leaves. He did not turn towards her at first, half distracted by his own thoughts and pleased that she had come to him.

"Kagome."

There was a growl of greeting in the sound of her name, and she came close to him, reached around his waist from behind and pressed her face against his back. He was surprised but not displeased by the tightness of her hold on him; her voice came out muffled when she spoke, but it was still clear enough for him to understand, to hear the tones of angry sadness.

"We should go home, mate, we should go home – we should not have stayed."

And, hearing her, he unwound her arms and turned to face her, lifted her chin and sighed as the moonlight illuminated the troubled expression on her face.

_It is not grief that moves her now – what is it? Could it be – the humans? Ah…_

"I tried to warn you, I did try. They will not understand. They can only fear."

Kagome didn't question how he could so easily comprehend her trouble. She took a long breath full of shudder and he touched her lips, the sharp point of one fang. A drop of blood pearled on his finger and she licked it away without thinking, pressed her lips against his skin and worked her way back into his grasp.

"No, they don't understand. Only Shippou looks at me the same, does not flinch when I touch him."

"That is why he is coming with us – if Rin approves. I was going to come to you, to tell you that I had to go. I meant to go before, but now it is imperative. It is not safe for her, not since the sun went down, and I will not leave her alone outside. If I do not go tonight, those who serve me will take her to the Den, and that is safe but inconvenient."

Kagome was startled by his suggestion, felt a warm flush.

"You will let me keep him – he will be with me, and it will be home for him too? Thank you, Sesshomaru."

She hugged him tightly, and closed her eyes, and did not see the satisfaction of his smile.

_I do not mind the boy – he is not afraid and at least he is not human. A kitsune in my house!...but if it pleases her…_

"I was surprised to even find you here – I thought you might have gone home without me."

That she might have thought such a thing, that it had worried her, came to him through a filter of warmth.

"I would not go without warning, without telling you. It is not my desire to go and leave you here."

He saw gratitude overwhelm everything else on her face, and felt suddenly protective, feeling new, raw hurts in her, things he had not expected.

"What is it, Kagome, that hurts you? You will tell me exactly what it is that happened that I do not know."

She trembled in his hands, quivered, and even before she had really begun speaking he understood; it was exactly what he had thought. He had warned her in the stillness, after grief had become her companion.

"Miroku– he was – he is so angry with me, so angry…and he should be – but I did not know he would be _afraid_, too, and he – I was so upset, I said – "

Suddenly she was silent, utterly still. Sesshomaru, watching her, saw the flickering movement of her eyes, the struggling of something that moved as though uncertain it should even exist.

_I said – I wanted you. But I can't tell you that- can't tell you, how would I tell you?_

The thought flickering through her opened her mouth a little, shook a sharp breath out of her. It brought a flush to her face, but she forced herself to remember how close they had been. Was _now_ the time to start being embarrassed? Hesitantly, as though it was the strangest thing in the world, she stepped very close to him and pulled him closer, stretched until she could touch his lips with her tongue and then her lips, delicately, gently. She did not know it was the most dangerous sort of kiss.

Sesshomaru bent to her and held her still; the approving pleasure of his growl shook her whole body. When he knew it would leave her breathless, he pulled away and watched her with laughter in his face, in his eyes, let her clutch at him, reach for him in vain.

"It is getting late, and Rin is waiting. That kiss, mate – that kiss, I will remember, and keep as a promise."

He turned away from her into the gathering night, and very quickly he disappeared behind the curve of hills and horizon. There had been a strangeness and a warmth in his manner that she could not account for – any more than she could account for her own feelings. For a long time she stood watching the way he had gone, until the stars peered out quietly, one by one.

* * *

The night was warmer than Sesshomaru expected; even the wind. He savored it as he turned west and a little south, the straightest way home, and finally there was a taste of the coming winter in the wind that came from the north, cold that widened his eyes. Following Kagome he had not known where he was going; now he moved more purposefully, and felt the shivering presence of the open land when he left the forest.

He found Rin's scent among those drifting across the plain, and was reassured; the high wall came into view, and Rin herself, waiting in a shadow with a bag at her feet. He stopped beside her, bent and touched her hair, but her eyes were wide and wary and he stood straight again almost immediately, scanning the night-shadows.

"Sesshomaru-sama, you came back alone? Where is – "

"We are going to her – be silent, now."

Without question, she fell silent; he was turning in place, moving only his senses. There was no one thing that was wrong – not a scent, not a feeling, just a presence where none should be, an absence of nothing. At the edge of his hearing, there was a whisper, at the edge of his sight a shadow that moved – a shadow that could not stay still. Almost as still, as silent as he was, Rin was watching in the same directions, her eyes wider now than they had been, her mouth an 'o' of concentration.

She tugged on his sleeve, and he looked down at her and was surprised at her daring, her initiative.

"Sesshomaru-sama, I have seen _shadows _beyond the wall!"

And then, even quieter, a low whisper.

"They are shadows with wings."

He sensed there was far more for her to say, far more, but she knew the value of silence and he could sense the _eyes_ on them even if he could not see them.

"You are ready – we should be leaving."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. I am packed also for Kagome-sama, and for you - but I do not know how they knew we would not be staying at home..."

Her eyes were still watchful but she picked up on his moods easily, was just as intent in her observation of him as she was the nothing around them.

_A good child. Kagome's kit will be good for her._

"Rin – come."

He swept her up; the night was dark over them, and a tremor moved the ground. Sesshomaru looked back over his shoulder and saw another wave of power crashing down over the wall, more furious, more intense than the one he had not seen. It crackled and screamed, reached out for him, out to him – he smiled, watching it, and Rin took that moment to tug again on his haori.

"Sesshomaru-sama, there is a message, too. Kinawai-sama came just after sunset. He said – 'tell him I came, and that I will come back, and that hopefully he will find it convenient.' He was upset, Sesshomaru-sama – not to find you home, Rin - _I_ - think."

She blinked at him quietly, her message delivered, content now that she had discharged her duty, and Sesshomaru allowed himself an internal scowl.

_Convenient, Kinawai? Not at all, not at all. I know what you bring._

"Did Kinawai say where he would be going, Rin, or why he would not wait?"

"He is hunting, Sesshomaru-sama, and then he said he would be back. He only left the message I already said. I told him you would not forget me, so you would be returning soon."

Sesshomaru stood undecided for a few minutes, testing the air.

_He is close. He will consider it an affront if I do not find him, or wait for him, now that I have come so far – but this is not a good place now. If I brought him inside it would be three more days before that protection was restored…and if it is sufficiently watchful I will have questions for the bodies it leaves behind…or their lords. _

"But even so…"

He had forgotten the girl in his arms; she looked at him strangely, wriggled slightly.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

"We will be back soon – Kinawai will have to wait until then. The morning, or the afternoon."

He looked at her seriously and took away the bag she was still holding, slung it over his other arm.

"I left without telling you to follow Kagome; someone she protects was in danger, and she would not stop. It was her - son, a kitsune named Shippou."

She looked...interested.

"A kitsune? The small one with red hair? I have seen him, Sesshomaru-sama, but we have not met!"

"You will meet him soon, and some others, at the place where we are going. They are Kagome's, her friends, so you should not be afraid."

She laughed, and he relaxed just a little. It was not loud, her laughter, but pretty and soft. He had been glad to find that out about her, in the very beginning.

"Kagome-sama told me about Shippou, and friends she had. A Houshi, and a lady, and your half-brother, Sesshomaru-sama."

He felt strange, hearing the girl say such things, felt…regrets.

"Yes those people; before, we did not get along. But Inuyasha is dead now, Rin, and he was…he was close to Kagome. She is grieving. Be careful how you speak of him."

Rin was sensitive to his mood, to his feeling, his expressions; she sensed a great deal that he did not, could not, say. She nodded, her face solemn, and Sesshomaru took sixteen steps – and then a voice stopped him, and he turned quickly, swore silently and met Kinawai's eyes.

"You picked a bad time to disappear, Sesshomaru, and now you will not wait? You are running off again?"

They fought a brief battle of eyes. The green gleamed even without the benefit of light; the gold was shuttered, evasive. Rin let out a surprised breath, but Sesshomaru barely paused. Having made his decision, he would not change it.

"Wait? No. But running I must be – Kagome is alone in a place she does not want to be, and I will not leave her there another night. But – the messages –"

Kinawai sought his eyes, held them; finally he nodded once and stepped back, let the barest trace of a growl slip into his voice.

"Run quickly, Sesshomaru. I do not have all season."

"_The messages_?"

Kinawai sighed.

"Yes. I sent them, as you asked. Seven I judged worthy of trust, your kin and mine, are coming. _Soon_, Sesshomaru."

"And the Council?"

"Those messages, too. By morning, they will all know what you have done - and then they will want to see her, this mate of yours."

Sesshomaru showed just the points of his teeth, defiant, and turned back to his own path. It took him only a few moments to disappear, and Kinawai watched him go, annoyed and amused both.

_He looks strange carrying that girl, but that was not the thing – his face was turned towards the place the miko waits even when he was talking to me. He is falling fast – but I did not even see him let go._

* * *

Kouga stood outside his den in heavy air and breathed deeply of it. He had woken uncomfortably, had spent an uncomfortable day, and the moonlit coolness did not make him feel any different, any better. A message had come from the Inu with the onrushing darkness – the message gave him the reason for the sickening scent, the scent that weighed down the wind.

_It's been like this for days!_

The whole of his forest had been permeated with it, a scent that at once managed to entice and sicken him; it was the scent of strong mating, but it had not come to him strongly enough for him to know that - it was only the message, the summons that was newly come from the Inu, that had taught him the reason.

But reason was not enough for the flare of his anger. He snarled into the night, even shook himself trying to dislodge his discomfort, but it accomplished nothing.

_The Inu takes a mate, and it is no concern of mine – or even of Council. His father proved that well enough, and they feared him - and maybe because of him, now they fear his son more!_

His brow contracted in scorn. He had met the Inu, and had not been impressed; he had seen arrogance, and strength – but not without measure and not beyond matching. It had been proved that the Inu no Taisho was only a dog, like other dogs – even if they called him _Godslayer_!

So, why not the same for this one? Kouga's thoughts circled around that, remembering. Even in death, his own father had suffered, and from more than defeat when the Inu no Taisho, too, succumbed to darkness. And it was the accusations of this...Sesshomaru, so concerned with the rule of Challenge, that had smeared the honor of Kouga's own father.

He paused in his thoughts. The wind came from the south, and with it more of that scent. He held his breath, but in his thoughts he panted.

_Perhaps it is too many mutts passing through my lands. Perhaps it is…_

He shook his head, and closed his eyes. He felt as though he were fighting the memory of that strangeness, of what that scent could mean, but he could not catch more than the note of sameness – the familiar hint and an edge of deeper sparkle. Kouga swallowed heavily, tasting bile and feeling the surge of an anger without reason.

"Kouga-sama! Kouga-sama?"

His arm swung around without thought and took the speaker he could not see by the throat; he felt flesh break under his claws, skin parting, hot wetness – the scent of blood cleared the air even as it filled it, and Kouga released his grip with a spasm of muscles. He breathed deeply, heavily, and did not turn – from behind him there was the sound of a throat being cleared, and then the same voice, with a quaver this time.

"My lord, about that...that message...will you be choosing gifts? Something special…for the female, maybe?"

Kouga turned, choking half with laughter and half with angry surprise.

"Something special for the female? For a mutt like that dog's probably picked, why should I bother? It makes no difference to me."

He stepped back towards the den, seeking a place away from the troubling air.

"Sorry, Ginta. I did not mean to wound you, but you surprised me, and I was thinking….about how much I dislike the wind, lately."

His eyes flickered back over his shoulder, at the Wolf who had served him for so long, following six steps behind and wiping blood away from his throat and the collar of his tunic.

"I think you're losing your touch though, Ginta."

"My – touch, Kouga-sama?"

Kouga laughed, feeling some of his good humor restored.

"Used to be when I tried to grab you like that, you were already ten miles away! Did you get lazy or courageous all of a sudden?"

"Uh...Kouga-sama?

"Never mind - just...never mind."

Kouga sighed, and Ginta returned to his previous concern.

"Are you...are you not planning to attend this presentation, Kouga-sama?"

Kouga shook his head.

"Oh, I'll go - because it is the Rite, and because it will annoy Sesshomaru that we accepted an invitation I am sure he did not wish to extend. But you will make the arrangements – I am sure you can select an appropriate gift. I do not need to be _bothered_."

"Yes, Kouga-sama."

Kouga cracked his knuckles dangerously and stalked deep into the den, away from that wind, away from that scent - though he could not decide, even now, what was so horrible about it.

_It reminds me...it reminds me...it reminds me of..._

* * *

A/N: Ah, poor Kouga. He's so doomed to never end up with Kagome ever. Yay, Sesshomaru and Rin! Yay Kagome giving a _kiss!_ Sesshomaru's ego must be purring now...:D Except he's a dog and dogs don't purr. Coming Soon: Sango and Miroku Decide Something Interesting, Shippou Becomes A Sibling, and _perhaps _Jaken Returns. Did anyone even notice he was missing? Ha! No, seriously that was on purpose: he's been QUESTING! Who wants to guess what for? Much thanks for all reviews! Let's see...

Raksha65, behold, I update...soon!

Nessabelle20: Catharsis! Yes! you are awesome! :D

Ichisakuraki: I was trying to think of something really funny to say so you could annoy anyone still under room arrest, but...when I try, you know, just...nothing. Nothing! I'm not sure about being beaten by younger siblings...I think it's probably worse when they're younger cause then if you smack them _back, _you get in more trouble! And see, you feel loved and then I get reviews and I feel loved...it's like a regular hippy love fest in my author's note!

ChaoticReverie: Wow! Your rant on my behalf is...awesome! Ha! I never really understood why there was 18000 hits and only 90 reviews, but laziness is a symptom of life and I have tried to make myself accept that even 1 review is better than none! Also, I just realized I've posted...17 chapters in...20 something days! Which might have something to do with it, heh...:D I just can't bring myself to be one of those evil authors who holds everyone hostage til they get a certain number of reviews! But, _you_ review, so you can be sparkly with pride at how much you boost my ego!

RedWolf47: I don't mean for Rin to be confusing, so much as just...a little backwards with her tense. It just always annoyed me that she went from speaking in the third person/not at all to perfect grammar with no transition!

Anime Lady PIMP: Indeed it did; but now she gets Sesshomaru, so I can't make myself feel _too_ bad for her...

Angela Page: Much thanks! Behold, not very much waiting required at all!

Lunarcat12: I expected people to be a little disturbed by Sango and Miroku and co. being freaked out, but I thought it was sort of required...I mean, they haven't seen her in months and then she shows up from nowhere as a demon and kills crazed Inuyasha. That's gotta be a lot to take in! But don't worry; they very quickly are realizing that they are being...well...idiots! And of COURSE there's something to kill people in the castle! Sesshomaru is well on his way to being a bad host - invisible servants, invisible death traps...

Kouga's Older Woman: Behold! Sesshomaru going back to Rin, who is, happily, not forgotten! Sango and Miroku will come to their senses rather rapidly; actually I suppose Miroku already has, and Sango's getting there...

Okay! I think...that's everyone! So, much thanks to you all - and you other people, click the button! Review! Please!

Phew! Final Revisions, Complete! R&R! :D


	18. XVIII: Substance and Shadow

XVIII.

Substance and Shadow

* * *

The morning found Sango walking alone at the edge of the village. She had denied Miroku's request to accompany her, had laughed off his worry even though she still felt a tickle of unease herself about being alone in the wild. Still, she _needed_ time alone, needed time to think.

She had kept to herself only one secret, when she had told Miroku, and later Kaede, exactly what had happened to her while she had been in Inuyasha's grasp. She had not told them of her momentary awakening in the darkness; the glimpse of Kagome she had had in the moon-touched mouth of Inuyasha's den - when she had been alone, the last time she had woken before Miroku's voice had called her attention.

It was obvious after a few days spent in Kagome's company, after hearing the story of Inuyasha's death, Kikyou's undoing, that Kagome herself remembered nothing of that particular moment. Sango herself remembered it only too well; the sight of that familiar shape, outlined by moonlight - the rising of a hope beyond hope...and then the crushing weight of those red eyes, the dark youkai presence!

_Did she even recognize me? She didn't know, or didn't care -_

The idea of it, of such forgetfulness, such internal possession, such a vengeful hunger...it frightened her. Sango had spent her youth listening to the stories of her father and their village, stories of the great and terrible demons who had slain entire villages in passing, or trickster youkai who maintained the shape of human beings in order to live in lavish wealth and sleep among human woman, stealing their virtue and, later, perhaps their lives.

At first, she had been more than a little suspicious that such an explanation might be in order; she had kept the thought to herself, well aware that the eyes of this _new_ Kagome, bright youkai gold, might see through her pale facade to the truth beneath.

_But since we buried Inuyasha, she has become more and more like her old self, a little at a time...so that I cannot believe it. I cannot believe anything except that she is Kagome, and I don't...I don't want it to be true!_

If there was anyone who could manage to be youkai and still keep a human heart, it was Kagome... but...

Sango shook her head, angry at her own doubts, her own faithlessness, her own selfishness. If she looked at it honestly, it was just that - _selfishness_. It was so hard! There had been - not an agreement, but an unspoken understanding between them, as between sisters. Someday, she would marry Miroku, and Kagome would marry Inuyasha, and they would settle in the village together...have children, raise them like siblings, teach them together...

_That can never happen now._

And the reason, as Sango thought of it now, was not Kagome, but the one who called her _mat_e, the one who possessed her. Sesshomaru would never allow his pups to be familiar with humans; _his _children would not be companions for her sons and daughters – and his children were Kagome's children, now.

Sango had considered, on several occasions, what it might take to slay a demon of Sesshomaru's strength; alone, she would never have dared to attempt it, and the reason was simply that she knew she would have no chance of success. Such a youkai looked down upon demon slayers with contempt; the potions and powders upon which she and her kin had set such store, the youki-enhanced weapons, the poisons and training - all those things were like the buzzing of an insect to a youkai like Sesshomaru. Now...her problem was different, greater.

_Kagome is become like that! She will be -she _is _- one of the mighty, and she does not know it. And I - I am a Taijiya; that is my calling and my inheritance. And how can I...how can I..._

There was a tiny mew from down by her feet, and Sango looked down and smiled a little.

"Hello, Kirara. Have you been playing with Shippou again?"

There was an affirmative mew.

"As long as you're gentle; Kagome's still worried about him, she didn't want him to get out of bed again today."

The twin-tailed cat leapt up in her arms and purred gently, rubbed her small wet nose against Sango's cheek.

"Kirara..."

Quite suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and peered down at the kitten-shaped youkai in her hands. Kirara blinked at her, tilted her head to one side and let out another mew. Her tails twined together and then separated, tickling Sango's fingers.

"Kirara, change your shape for me, please?"

Lightly, Kirara leapt down again. There was a momentary roar of wind and fire, and then the little twin-tailed cat stood revealed in her true shape, flame leaping about her paws, fangs bared, eyes demon-sharp. There was nothing cute about her now; Kirara was dangerous in a number of ways, but Sango sat down beside her and leaned her head against one leg...and quite suddenly, the objective truth of what she was doing struck her hard.

_I'm not afraid of Kirara. And I don't slay her, either - what's wrong with me? It's Kagome I've been thinking about! Kagome!_

Sango turned and hugged Kirara compulsively, unmindful of the flames, the great fangs, and pressed her face into the soft fur.

_Kami-sama...she must be so upset at how we've been avoiding her - she must think...she must think we're horrible -_

"I've been an idiot, haven't I?"

Kirara nudged her gently, lapped at her cheek with a rough, moist tongue that left her face damp from chin to forehead.

"You know it's true. I've got to _do_ something, something to let her know that I'm not...that she doesn't...bother me. What do you think, Kirara?"

There was a momentary rush of wind, and Sango let out a _whoa!_ of surprise and fell over backwards as Kirara returned to her smaller form.

"_Mew_..."

Kirara climbed onto Sango's chest and swiped at loose strands of hair with one small paw; she pulled a kitten-fierce face, and let out a mewling growl. Sango smiled, and then giggled, and finally laughed.

"I get it, I get it - she's as dangerous to me as you are, isn't she? But still - I don't know what to do to tell her that."

She picked herself up out of the grass and stretched, careful of the itchy, healing scabs on her arms.

"I'm going to talk to Miroku, Kirara, and see if he has any ideas. Thank you..."

She squeezed Kirara tight for a moment, and received a lick from a much smaller tongue on the end of her nose.

* * *

Miroku was waiting for Sango outside of Kaede's house, and he was glad to see her coming back with a smile on her face.

"Miroku, were you waiting for me? I'm sorry - "

"You don't need to worry, Sango. You needed time alone; I understand."

With less hesitance than was her custom to show, Sango came up beside him and hugged him. She intended it to be momentary, but his arms came up around her and squeezed her tightly without straying into any dangerous zones. Mouth close to her ear, he whispered so that his breath tickled her.

"Kaede says that early in the next month is a good time to marry, Sango."

She flushed bright red and twisted out of his grasp, held her hands tightly together in front of her.

"She will marry us in the Shinto tradition. She is a miko and not a Priest, but I don't think that matters too much - "

"No...no, I guess not - "

And then Sango paused and looked up at him, suddenly bright eyed.

"That's it! Miroku, you're a genius!"

"I am? I am!"

He paused, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"But why exactly am I a genius, Sango?"

"Because now I know exactly what to do for Kagome - to make her feel at home with us again."

"She's not...I don't think she's staying, Sango -"

"Of course she isn't!"

She let out a puff of air that ruffled her hair, and pointed at him scathingly; he could hear in her voice, in her words, that she was scolding herself as much as she was scolding him.

"But we've both been absolutely terrible to her, Miroku! You were right, what you said - she's just Kagome, no matter if she's youkai or not, no matter what she looks like or who she's..._attached_ to."

She said the word with great delicacy, and Miroku struggled to restrain his grin. This was good - better than good. This was his Sango, who he had missed since the day her brother died; she had not been lively like this for a long time. And her smile...her smile was back, her eyes sharp, the way he loved them. Maybe this new Kagome was _good_ for them. Was that...could that be true?

_For now, anyway..._

"Of course I'm right. But what do you want to do, Sango?"

Her smile grew just a little bit wider; her blush darkened.

"I thought...I thought we could ask _her_ to marry us. She's a miko too, isn't she? Even if she's youkai, she's still miko - you saw, you heard -"

"I did."

Miroku stared at her; he did it for so long that Sango grew uncomfortable and began to babble into the silence, trying to cover up the awkwardness she felt.

"You don't...we don't have to, of course we don't, I just thought that maybe it would...I don't know, I thought it would make her feel better if she knew we accepted her, and that way...and I - "

"Sango, what are you worrying about? It's...it's _perfect_, Sango. _You're_ the genius, not me!"

"O-oh. Well - well of course I am! I wonder, though...where did she go? I haven't seen her since early last night..."

"I don't know - Shippou could find her, though."

"Yes! Kirara was with him out in the meadow; but do you think he'd help us? He's been...a little touchy."

Sango frowned a little; Miroku only shrugged.

"Of course. _He _doesn't care in the slightest that she's changed - can't say I blame him, he's Kitsune, after all. Kagome coming back made him happy; Kagome becoming a demon is probably a dream he never even dared to have."

"Won't argue with that. Come on, Miroku, he can't be far..."

They found Shippou easily enough; he was laying beside Kirara in a patch of autumn sunlight, naming the shapes of exotic clouds as they passed by in the blue over head and trying to catch particles of golden dust as they fluttered by.

"Shippou, feeling up to some hide-and-seek?"

Miroku called out over the field, and Shippou sat up at once, waved.

"Miroku! Sango! Kirara and I want fish!"

"Is that so?"

Miroku spoke smiling. He and Sango crested the hill together, hand in hand, and Sango grinned down at Shippou, brushing the hair back out of her eyes.

"Well, maybe there will be fish for dinner, _if _you can help us find Kagome. How's that, Shippou?"

He nodded and scratched his ear, turned his nose into the wind.

"I guess...she's close, I think. What do you want to find her for?"

His voice was suspicious, and neither Sango nor Miroku could blame him for that.

_Probably thinks we're going to say something terrible, or do something..._

"We haven't been the same to her, since she came back; because she was youkai. But that's not fair, and I - we - thought - "

Miroku took over, speaking with a broad, beaming grin.

"We're going to ask her if she'll marry us, Shippou. If she'll perform the ceremony."

"Oh! Hey, that should make Kagome feel lots better!"

Kirara caught him by the back of the vest and held him when he tried to scrabble up and run - Sango held out a warning finger and shook it at him.

"Now, Shippou, _slowly_! You know what Kagome said - "

"But I - "

"_Shippou_ - "

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, I get it..."

More slowly, he stood and then trotted along, testing the air with his nose. Kirara, kitten-shaped, followed along, Miroku and Sango trailing behind.

"She's in the forest; come on, you two _lovebirds_ - "

He snickered, and went just a little bit faster in front of them. Sango gasped and tried to snatch her hand away, as if only just noticing that Miroku had never let go. Miroku held on tightly, and pulled her right up against his side. He let go of her hand then, but instead held her fast by the waist. She trembled; he felt it, but she did not make him let go.

* * *

Kagome was walking in the woods; she had been wandering in circles, since Sesshomaru had gone to bring Rin back, and her thoughts were unsteady, flickering here and there. Without really meaning to, she ended up at a familiar place - the old well - as if her feet followed a path beneath the falling leaves that her eyes could not see.

Carelessly, her fingers traced the edges of the wooden lip; she peered down over the edge, and then drew back, sat on the edge and kicked her feet. There was a pulse from behind and beneath her that was terribly familiar, horribly tempting. She could throw herself backward, fall down and in and go back to her mother, and Souta, and her grandfather with his ridiculous wards. Back to bright lights and electricity and subways, back to school and University and someday a nine-to-five job...back to her friends who would not, could not understand her -

She stared down at her hands, the sparkling claws, sharp, deadly, as reflective as glass. Her fingers looked longer now, more delicate, because of those claws; her hands fell out of her lap and onto the lip of the well and she felt roughness; a splinter punctured her finger and she let out a little gasp, scowled at the offending piece of wood as she removed it. Curious, she stood and looked down, and almost immediately wished she hadn't.

There were the marks of desperate fingers on the edge of the well, the marks of ten dangerous claws that had dug their own shape into the wood, cracking it, splintering it. Carefully, she lay her own fingers in the wide-spaced grip, closed her eyes.

_Inuyasha was here. He was here, waiting...what were you waiting for, Inuyasha? What were you trying to do? Were you fighting off the darkness, or giving in? _

She crouched there, her fingers in the gouges Inuyasha had made, and peered down into the well. She could see the glittering, shattered colors in her mind's eye, the swirl of light that had brought her from the future to the past, so many times.

It was frightening, now; it had been frightening to her since the shikon no tama had come together in her hands. The source of that fear was a thought at the back of her mind that she had never allowed much room to grow.

_If I go back to the future, will I be able to return?_

Something in her heart pulsed warningly at the thought; she had never dared to test it, and now...now, it was too late, in more than one way.

Kagome, the girl, could have chosen at any time to leap down into the maelstrom, to go forward in time and return to the family, the life, that she had abandoned.

Kagome, youkai mate of the Lord Sesshomaru, had no such choice. Looking down into the darkness, thinking of all those things, the hallmarks of her modern world, she knew at once and irrevocably that it was a world she could not return to. What would she do, under the assault that she knew she would suffer in that place? Her ears rang with just the thought of a single car horn, or a school bell - and what about raised voices, radios, fire drills; what about the smell of gasoline, the attack of a thousand fumes and perfumes -

She swayed a little, thinking of it, and heard a guilty whisper in the back of her thoughts.

_I was always so inconsiderate of Inuyasha...even if he was only hanyou, it must have been awful. _

Her fingers tightened, and then she looked up; real scents were tickling her nose, and she could hear...rustling. Why would that get her attention?

_Is it - footsteps? But - _

Quickly, she leapt down from the edge of the well and closed her eyes. Who were these scents? They were...friends. Yes, that was the message of her senses; friends. Which friends?

_Shippou. Yes._

Her recognition of his scent was automatic; the instincts of the Inu inside her had claimed him, and that made him easy to know.

_And..._

She took deep breaths. She _knew_ who it was, the pair of scents coming towards her, but she wanted to learn them, know them for what they were and not just because there were only two people, male and female, that would be looking for her.

_Eh - but how did I know _that_? Male and female..._

There was an edge to one scent; it was Miroku, she knew it was, but the _how_ was a different question. There was...something musky, like sweat but not quite; cotton odors, a breath of dark incense.

_Miroku. And Sango..._

Sweetness, something floral and almost fruity. Kagome smiled a little; she knew that smell! Her own shampoo, something with a ridiculous name like 'berryflower passions'; yes, that was the smell. Sango's own scent was fainter beneath the artificial perfume. It was almost herbal, like sage and safflower and citrus...

_Miroku, and Sango. I know it, now_. _I will remember._

She smiled faintly, but her face wrinkled almost immediately.

_But why are they coming out here? Are they...are they looking for me?_

It would explain why Shippou was with them, and why they were wandering so much; the sound of them was easier to follow than the scents. But that was her fault, for going in circles - she had been walking for hours and had felt no fatigue, no reason to sit down, or rest, or sleep...

_I should go to them, but..._

She was afraid that they did not want her. She did not want them to look on her with fear again, didn't think she could bear it. Was there anyone else who could be her friend if they were not? Was there anyone else that would even bother to try to know her?

"At least...I have Shippou."

_And Sesshomaru. He wants me; he says I am his. It feels good...to be wanted._

Kagome let out a heavy sigh and stood up, pulled a few splinters free from her robe carefully and scowled down at herself in distaste while she was doing so. She had bathed, and washed out the silk that had been bloodied...but the damage was irreparable. It was not so much a stain as a change of color. She looked south and east with longing; the way Sesshomaru had gone, the way back...home. The thought was strange and uncomfortable, like new shoes.

_That's going to take time to get used to. Home...and there're so many things I don't know, still..._

The memory of her 'hunting lesson' was bright in her memory, and so was the thought of Sesshomaru, teaching her - as strange as it was, she didn't think she could have found anyone better. But still, what she had encountered so far - that was so little compared to the great emptiness of her knowledge! Another sigh shook her, but she reached deep down and found a smile, pulled it onto her face.

The approaching footsteps in the rustling underbrush were close, closer, and then they were no longer footsteps but a pair of paws she knew.

"You found me, Shippou! I was waiting; that didn't take you long at all."

"Kagome! Miroku and Sango wanted to find you and -"

"Shippou!"

Sango scolded from behind him as she leaned on Miroku's arm and made her way over an unruly bush.

"Don't you dare give it away, Shippou!"

Kagome stood very still, staring at them, watching carefully; there was a looseness in the movements of the two humans that she hadn't seen since she had come back to them. Sango was smiling, a wide, natural smile that Kagome had been afraid she would never see again.

"You...you wanted to find me?"

She was almost embarrassed to find her voice locked in her throat; it came out tiny, like the voice of a child, but before she could say another word Sango crossed the distance between them and hugged her tightly, squeezed her so that the breath came out of her lungs in an uncomfortable _whoosh._

"Sa -Sango!"

"Kagome, we're sorry! We've been terrible - or at least, I've been terrible - "

Sango let go and took a step back, and glared over her shoulder at Miroku until he rubbed his head sheepishly and looked over at Kagome.

"Me as well, Kagome. I should never have gotten angry with you, and -"

"And we wanted...we wanted to apologize!"

Their words stumbled over each other and Kagome found herself suddenly giggling, holding a hand over her mouth as if that could prevent the sound from spilling out.

"You - you two - "

The tight elastic band that had been squeezing Kagome's heart since the moment she had been aware of their fear snapped, and disappeared almost as if it had never been.

"I've missed you both so much -"

Tears that she was not aware of rolled out of Kagome's eyes and down her cheeks, and Sango reached forward and hugged her again, more gently this time.

"We really were awful, Kagome, but...please understand, it was - um -"

Sango paused.

"Well, it was a bit of a surprise, really..."

Kagome laughed, brushing away tears, and bent down to pick up Shippou. He was frowning in displeasure at being left out, and she ruffled his hair with one hand, held him close.

"A surprise! Sango - you have no idea. But what were you all excited about, Shippou?"

She missed Miroku in the background waving a threatening staff, and was therefore extremely surprised when Shippou clamped his mouth tightly shut and shook his head. Kagome looked up at Sango, the question obvious in her eyes.

"Sango, did you want to tell me something?"

Color shot up Sango's face so fast Kagome was surprised there was no steam coming out her ears.

"We...we're getting married, Kagome. Mi-Miroku and I. Are."

Kagome turned and caught Miroku also blushing; she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Congratulations! Does this mean I'm invited?"

Miroku stepped forward and took the opening.

"Actually, Kagome, we were hoping you would perform the ceremony for us."

Kagome's eyes grew wider than he had ever seen.

"Me? Me, marry you? But I'm – I'm -"

"You are a miko, Kagome. You are as able as Kaede."

"I - well, I - I guess I - if you really wanted me to -"

Shippou tugged at her collar, and Kagome looked down at him. In a loud whisper, he spoke towards her ear.

"Just say yes, Kagome!"

She smiled, and Miroku and Sango saw, finally, that it was really Kagome in front of them - the same Kagome, the same smile. Even the fangs were not so bad, after all.

"Yes. Yes, I'll do it."

Dampened by happy tears, they managed a six-armed hug with Shippou in the middle, and then they turned towards the village and walked back through the trees, talking softly. Miroku and Sango had a thousand questions, but Kagome was curious too, had things she wanted to know. She asked what they had done after she left them, and what they had thought - how Miroku had proposed (again) and, though the answer was stammering and soft, how Sango had liked her first kiss.

They followed the edge of the meadow down to the path that led through the village, and as the wind blew over them Kagome stopped and stood in place, her face suddenly distant, her smile overwritten by an intense and listening expression.

"Kagome?"

Miroku touched her shoulder lightly.

"Kagome?"

She blinked rapidly, and then the smile was back, brighter.

"Sorry; Sesshomaru - he is coming. I can feel him, I think...when he is near. I wonder why that is?"

She did not notice the rapid glance Miroku and Sango exchanged behind her back. They had made up their minds; she was their Kagome, and they would support her, and love her, and help her however they could. But Sesshomaru - he was an unknown quantity, except for his violence, and there had never been anything in his actions to make them think he was a good match for a lively and cheerful girl such as their Kagome had been. She was a little quieter now, dimmed a little and with some of that enormous energy redirected, fueling the Inu inside her - but even so. Sesshomaru?

All their words and thoughts left them when they came over the rise in the path leading down towards Kaede's door, and saw Sesshomaru standing there, straight-backed, deadly, his features regal - and in his arms a smiling figure that revealed itself to be a human girl.

* * *

A/N: And finally, chapter 18 appears! Sorry for the wait, but with five classes this semester and a full time job, it will take me a little longer to get out updates...specially since I have 10 fics all going at the same time; I don't want to neglect any of them for too long, you see. Ah, but I like this chapter! Yay, Sango and Miroku figuring it out! Yay Sesshomaru coming back! Yay the next chapter being partially done!

Because it is almost midnight, and because I PROMISE I am posting the next chapter while I'm at work tomorrow, I'm going to [gasp] refrain from going through all the reviews right now, and just say THANK YOU! to everyone who is awesome enough to CLICK THE BUTTON! All reviews will be replied to at the end of tomorrow's chapter, so don't despair! I still love you all! :D Coming Soon: More Kasuka, Sesshomaru Explains Stuff [finally, right?] and Playtime with Shippou and Rin!

Final Revisions...Complete! Yay! (Along with my Psyche final – let's hope I didn't fail, ya? :P)


	19. XIX: Touch

XIX.

Touch

* * *

As he had run across the plain, Sesshomaru had felt warmth growing in his thoughts, a complete contrast to the faint and flickering pain that had been his _feeling _of Kagome since he had followed her to the human village.

Now, standing in front of her, he could see the reason - and he was pleased.

_Her - friends. They stand by her side._

Perhaps - just perhaps - there was more to these particular humans than he had thought. The kami knew this houshi and his woman had faced _him_ without trembling; for Inuyasha's sake, they had defied his wrath and his killing intentions...and they had done the same for Kagome, he was sure. It was in their eyes when they looked at her, now - as it once had been.

Both Sango and Miroku stood within arms reach of his mate, and there was not a flicker of fear or discomfort in them - or rather, only when they focused on him was there such a flicker.

_That is as it should be._

Quickly, he beckoned Kagome forward as he was letting Rin down, and she in turn let Shippou go and turned to him. She was hesitant coming to him, her movements slow and her cheeks flushing with every step. He remembered immediately and perfectly why that would be. A wicked thought occurred to him, and he reached for her and pulled her against his body, bent down and let his teeth hover over the dark mark at her throat, just barely brushing her skin. Her scent warmed and her lips parted; he chose that moment to pull away.

"Rin has brought robes for you in her bag, mate; bathe, and change, and then we must be leaving this place."

"Can I – will I be able to come back here, to visit them?"

She pressed her cheek against his chest, spoke softly.

"They're getting married; I'm going to perform the ceremony for them, so -"

"You may do as you like, Kagome."

His hands caressed her back, her waist. There was something like surprise written faintly on his features, but she couldn't see it the way he was leaning over her. His voice was soft enough that only she could hear him.

"You are my mate, not my prisoner. I will not keep you from your friends."

Her arms tightened around him just a little, and then she let go and stepped away, looked down at the girl peeking around Sesshomaru's leg. There were humans in all directions but Rin was never afraid with Sesshomaru there - and she seemed interested in Shippou. Kagome bent down and smiled at her.

"Rin, are you well?"

"I am happy, Kagome-sama!"

With a straining sound, Rin held up the bag that had been put in her care.

"This was packed for you, and for me, and also Sesshomaru-sama."

She handed her bag up to Kagome, and took a cautious step forward peering at Shippou. After a moment she looked up at Sesshomaru over her shoulder, a questioning expression on her face. He nodded.

"Yes, that is why I brought you here, Rin. This Kitsune is Shippou. He is your...brother."

Kagome looked at him sharply, but his face was calm, showing none of the implications of his words.

_Her brother? Does that mean - he wants to be a father to them? To Rin, and my Shippou?_

She could barely believe it, could hardly conceive of what such a thing might mean.

"Shippou, would you like to meet your...new sister?"

Kagome's words were hesitant, a little slow, but Sesshomaru nodded his approval and as she looked down at Shippou she saw a bright, dawning pleasure on his face that washed away her uncomfortable feeling. He nodded exuberantly, and took a few hopping steps forward, his eyes on Rin.

"You are...you are my _sister_ now?"

He tested the word carefully, as if might carry a bitter taste. If it weren't for the fact that this Rin called Kagome _Kagome-sama_, he would have been full of jealousy that the girl had been with _his Kagome _while he had been left alone with humans. Instead, he found himself strangely pleased with the smiling, nodding girl in front of him.

"I am Rin, and you are Shippou! Kagome-sama told me about you, and how you are hers, and how she found you – is that your tail, Shippou?"

Sesshomaru turned away while they were still just beginning to talk, and strode directly towards Sango and Miroku. Miroku took a half-step forward, shielding Sango, but Sesshomaru stopped far enough away that they didn't really feel threatened, and looked down at them with a masked expression that was more familiar than anything else they had seen from him so far. Rin's pleased reaction had changed his intentions, but there was no need for them to know that. He was beginning to have thoughts about the two in front of him; he had always been quick to grasp any new advantage and there were interesting opportunities here.

"I will go with Kagome - you, houshi, and you, Taijiya - I leave Rin in your care."

Kagome was already walking away down the long path towards the river, and he sped past them with quick, floating footsteps to catch up with her.

Miroku watched him go with wide eyes, and held out a restraining hand when Sango attempted to express her frustration.

"Well if that isn't just - "

"No, Sango, I think...I think this is a test, or maybe just a sign. What kind of trust does he show in us, by leaving this child in our care? And in Kagome, too - because we are the ones who she chooses to be the guardian of _her_ child."

Sango covered her mouth with her hand.

"I didn't think of that. But you're so sneaky, Miroku!"

He grinned a little, and then became serious again.

"I think, Sango, that Sesshomaru may be a much more complicated person than Inuyasha wanted us to believe...or wanted to believe himself."

"I don't know -"

"Does Kagome look unhappy, Sango?"

Miroku could see in her face that she was recalling the way Kagome had approached her new mate, the soft smile on her face.

"No. No, she doesn't."

"Kagome has more trust and love in her than anyone I've ever seen. You and I are suspicious types, Sango, but I don't know if Kagome has a suspicious bone in her body."

He was laughing a little as he said it, but Sango looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that what you think? You must not have spied on as many of our baths as I thought, Miroku."

He looked pained.

"Sango, my love, please. Especially considering our current...circumstances, such comments - "

She could not help but giggle.

_If Sesshomaru knew Miroku had spied on Kagome, he would chase him to hell and back. Assuming he didn't kill him, I bet that would be the funniest thing -!_

Very quickly, her giggles became clear, high laughter. Miroku pretended to scowl.

"Well, _I _don't see what's so funny..."

* * *

Kagome intended to go to the river; she was not looking forward to the autumn chill of the water, but Sesshomaru's instructions provided no room for argument – and she really had no desire to stay in bloodstained clothes, anyway. She was surprised when Sesshomaru caught up with her and tugged her aside, in the opposite direction she had been going.

"Unless you want to wash in cold water, Kagome -"

"No, definitely not!"

"Follow me."

Before long, she could tell where they were going, even though the landscape was passing by her faster than her eyes should be able to catch.

_I smell...water...and steam._

It was only a few minutes until the scents became real. In front of them, beneath a layer of mist, hot water simmered in a pool that glistened with a glassy texture. Easily, Sesshomaru stripped out of his clothes, left them piled on the ground and strode into the water. Kagome started and blushed as he walked past her, felt heat shoot upwards from her toes and tingle in the tips of her fingers. Emotional attachments aside, she could not deny that he was the most desirable male she had ever seen - and she knew that he knew how to please her.

Barely visible through the steam was Sesshomaru's silver head, hair dulled almost white with water and clinging to his back. There was nothing uncomfortable or awkward in his movements; he turned towards her, and she ducked behind the pile of rocks at the end of the pool, stifling a nervous giggle. She could see him clearly, the lean muscles in his shoulders relaxed, his features smooth as he lay back against the stone. His eyes closed and she thought she was safe, but the slow drawl of his voice wrapped around her, caressing her, his tone almost...humorous.

"Come here, mate - but I think you should undress, first. The water will make your clothes very heavy."

Kagome stood straight, and notched her hands at her hips.

"You wouldn't dare!"

A smooth, dangerous smile curved his lips, and he stood, wading through the water towards her with long, easy, shifts of his strong limbs. She watched him move, the gather and flow of muscles that rippled under his skin, his claws leaving thin trails across the surface of the water. The spring grew shallower towards her, and she watched him approach her until he only stood submerged halfway up his thighs; then she swallowed hard and turned away.

_Oh...I do want him, I do - is that so wrong? Is it...is it bad_?

His eyes loomed gold in the mist, bright with a secret amusement, and then she felt his wet hands on her arms.

"You are very strange, mate. In the Chase -"

She flushed a deep, burning red, and he only smiled wider.

"In the Chase, you came to me, and wrapped around me, and there was none of this…red…in you. Come here."

It was a quiet command from a voice she had never heard him use before, ages away from the growling darkness with which he had first possessed her. She wanted to obey him, felt an internal compulsion that did not derive completely from her own will, but from some deep instinct. Immediately, she fought it; it was too much like the overwhelming pull that had catapulted her out to this place in the beginning.

"I said, _come here_!"

He had her before she knew it, wet fullness of skin and clinging hair and hot breath in the steam as he took a single step forward and grabbed her. A cry escaped her lips as he dragged her back with him into the water.

Heavy cloth floated around her, and the water brushed pinkness into her skin as she gasped and floundered in the sudden heat. A touch of anger rose in her eyes, but his hands were insistently peeling the wet fabric off her skin, and his words slipped into her ears like water through a shell.

"If you are worried about the robes, they are too stained for further wear now, anyway. And if you are worried about _me_..."

He shook his head a little, and reached out to touch her lips with two fingers, gently, like a kiss. His hands went to work easily and swiftly on the ties of her robes and when he stepped back, the water rose to touch all the exposed places on Kagome's skin, rippling with heat and softness. The silk floated away on the surface of the water, and she curled into herself, still trying to cover what she knew he had already seen, touched...

"I have tasted every inch of your skin, mate. What are you hiding?"

The intensity of his eyes held her while he pulled away her hands, and drew her down with him into the deeper part of the spring. He said _tasted_, and a serpent of heat uncoiled in her belly and rose through her blood, begging awareness. Even through the steam, the glow of his eyes told her that he was, indeed, aware – the curve of his mouth teased her with his appreciation of her desire.

He pulled her across his lap, and she felt the hardness of him brush against her thighs - but he only held her, and bent his mouth to her throat so he could run his tongue over the mark there. She found the attention oddly calming and realized after a few minutes that she was...growling? He seemed quite pleased with the sound.

Calm spread around them, and she tilted her head up as far as she could, looking at Sesshomaru's face while his eyes were closed; odd-tilted,his eyes, with lashes silver and black both and a narrow, aristocrat's nose. High cheekbones drew his features into smooth planes and sharp angles; his lips were surprisingly full in that slim face, one corner tilted up now and the other out of view. One eye opened, and a gold glint reached out to pierce her.

"What do you look at when you watch me that way, mate?"

"Just - you."

Tentatively, she reached up to touch his cheek, and then his lips, just as he had done, the light pressure of two gentle fingers.

"It is not very nice, you know, to drag me in here and then just doze on me."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, questioning.

"And?"

"And...?"

"What would you want me to do instead, Kagome?"

She took a deep breath, but stayed silent; he could hear her heartbeat begin to pick up its pace, and bent close to her ear, spoke very lowly.

"Or did you think I had forgotten your _promise_?"

"My - promise -"

_Oh -_

His raised eyebrow became the deceptive accompaniment to one of the dangerous smiles she was beginning to adore; he let his mouth sink gently closed over his claim of her. She half-flinched, expecting pain, but a rocking moan escaped her mouth, unnoticed, the moment his teeth entered her flesh. His thoughts swallowed her whole, the faint inner presence that she had only suspected was him raised to unexpected prominence by the soul-filling affirmation of the bond that tied them together.

Carelessly, disregarding her moan of disappointment, he pulled away and spun her around to face him.

"Do you think that I no longer want you, Kagome? Did you think I would take you that once, and never want to touch you again? How plain do I have to make my desire?"

Kagome used the water to her advantage and slipped away, but Sesshomaru waded forward and drew her close to him again; her unbound hair shimmered with wetness and her taut nipples peeked through the damp strands, drawing his eyes despite himself. He found even the points of her ears and the tilt of her eyes alluring; before he could stop himself, he was reaching for her. He did not want to alarm her, did not want to demand what she was not ready to give, but he could not imagine that she would deny him; the fragrance of her arousal was strong even in the steam.

When he reached her, it was as if a dam had been broken; for a moment her eyes showed a sparkle of red, and then her hands were on his skin, her mouth moving from his collarbone to his lips. She kissed him, pulling him closer, and the touch of her tongue slipping between his lips ground a groan out of his throat. She caught his lower lip between her teeth, and nipped gently – the taste and scent of his own blood became an erotic accompaniment to her hips, grinding against his erection, and the press of her soft breasts into his hands.

Gently at first, and then harder as her growls pushed him onwards, he pulled at her nipples and dragged his thumbs over their tips. Abruptly, she pushed him away, and flung droplets of water at him with a demanding motion of hands. There was still a flicker of red in her eyes, but not much; her cheeks were bright and flushed but her fingers were trembling with want. He stood back as she demanded, waiting to see what she would do, but nothing could have prepared him for her intentions. Kagome had let loose her desire, had taken a deep breath and plunged into the truth of her body's response and her own wanton intentions.

She allowed herself to touch him, fingers and claws caressing his back, his shoulders, the nape of his neck, down his chest and over taut abdominal muscles that rippled under her fingers. There was a moment of hesitation, and then her hands moved lower still; her tickling, gentle touch sent shivers through Sesshomaru's limbs.

He reached between them, and slid one finger against her wetness; her moan was breathy near his ear, and then she lay her head on his shoulder and raised her leg to wrap around his hip. She was nearly as strong as he was, now, and in their current position in better charge of their maneuvering; it took her only a moment to take him into her body. A hot, squeeze of pleasure made Sesshomaru stumble, widened his pupils and drew the air out of his lungs and into a moan that was half cry. He heard a sound that was part laughter; she was so pleased at having been able to take him by surprise.

But just as quickly she was off him again, pushing against him with claws and tongue and teeth. Somehow, Sesshomaru ended up pressed against the wall of the spring, and Kagome stalked him with hot eyes. A growl slipped eagerly out of her mouth; she was having _fun_. He was utterly astonished by her wanton urge, the exact opposite of the reluctance he had expected. What could he do but let her do as she pleased?

Easily swiftly, she lifted herself onto him again, but this time she stayed, moved slowly, watching his face, the gradual parting of his lips, and then faster.

Like a silk sheath, she fit him, tighter than his moment-memory of teasing penetration, slick and deep. Kagome was in control, pleasing herself with his body, and at first, despite the submissive nature of his position, he felt no need to complain. There was something extremely gratifying about this proof of her desire for him, something that gave the heat of his desire an extra layer of urgency – but he could only stay still, only allow her her dominance, for so long.

He waited until her eyes closed and her head fell back onto her shoulders under the force of her climax; her fingers spasmed against his chest, careless claws drawing blood, and the scent drew a darker shade of red into her eyes, made her writhe a little.

He wrestled her hands away in that distracted moment and turned her, pinning her beneath him against the steam-soaked rocks. She growled, showing teeth, and he matched her expression in every degree of fierceness and desire as he drove back into her body.

The hot water added an extra layer of sensation, but it was unnecessary. Kagome let out a long, shuddering wail, and dug her claws into the rock. Legs and feet spasmed together; he bit her throat, her breasts, the soft flesh above them. She scrabbled against him, and the waves of desire mounted high again and then broke as she felt him tense, and then clutch her tightly.

After a long moment he let her go and relaxed beside her, pulling her close through the water.

He expected the next few moments to be awkward; he was aware of Kagome's confusing modesty even if he did not understand it, and he thought she would pull away and cover herself again - but there was a smile on her face as she snuggled close and looked up at him.

"Well, Sesshomaru? What is going to happen now?"

When he let her go, she lay back in the water against his chest, floating in a nimbus of pleasure-that-had-been. Gently, he stroked her cheek and down to the smooth skin beneath where he had bitten her; he finally allowed her to pull away and wash then, ridding herself of the blood scent that had continued to cling to her skin as it clung to her clothes.

"Now? Now, we will leave this place, that village, and go home. I know that those humans are your friends, but I have no desire to stay with them any longer."

He stood, and strode to the edge of the spring, and his eyes studiously avoided meeting her gaze.

"Finish your bath; you must prepare your kit for the journey. There are a thousand things there has not been time to tell you, Kagome...and you still do not know what it means to be youkai, you do not know any of the things that are expected of you, or why - and very soon, there will not be enough time for you to learn."

He shook his head.

"You have no enemies, and that is good; you have no allies, no family, and that is...bad."

"I have family, Sesshomaru - "

"Human family, Kagome. They cannot help you."

She took a deep breath, let it out slowly.

"No. No, they...can't help me. But not because they're human -"

"Why, then? If you think they will be of use to you then I will not object, but to bring humans into our home _is _dangerous, Kagome. I have fought Challenge because of Rin, and you - you were more dangerous still. Whether you want to admit it or not, there is not much exchange between our two kinds; there are humans who are ruled by youkai, and there are humans who are killed by youkai...and sometimes it is the humans who do the killing. But there is not much peace between us, and to try to _make_ such a peace is always seen as weakness."

She was silenced by his words, but his misunderstanding was greater than he knew.

"Sesshomaru, my family - it is not that they aren't _here_ but that they are not..._now_."

"I thought that you came from far away, but -"

"No, Sesshomaru. No."

Her interruption, her correction, was soft but firm. He was right, there were a thousand things she didn't know - but the same could be said of him, at least where she was concerned.

"I am not from a far-away place, Sesshomaru. I am - I am from a different _time_."

She saw confusion, disbelief, and then acceptance move over his face in waves; she was just a little surprised, that he was able to take in such an idea immediately, without proof.

If she had given it a little more thought, she would have recognized that there was plenty of proof, if one cared to look for it - her old clothes, the materials they were made from, the bicycle she had ridden on and the bag she had carried with her everywhere - there were modern bandages in it, schoolbooks, strange food and drink packages, plastic wrappers, matches, pens, batteries, a flashlight, a radio - a hundred and one incredible things, all from the future. And there was her speech - her modern accent, words she tended to use - though less often now than she had first - which no one in this time period could understand.

She had no idea how many of those objects Sesshomaru had encountered, or seen, or how many strange things he had heard her say at the varying times he had come out of the shadows to fight Inuyasha. If he was honest, neither did Sesshomaru, nor could he have named such things, specifically - but the awareness was there all the same.

"The future. The future...not the past."

The words came out of his mouth with a testing quality; not testing of her, not asking for any explanations, just testing the words - their sound, their dimension.

"What year is it, when you are from?"

He stepped out of the spring, and she watched him rummage in the bag that Rin had given her; his own clothes, the familiar colors, were neatly folded at the bottom of the bag, and she saw him withdrawing other silks, presumably hers. But Kagome did not move to get out of the water yet; she sat still, and blinked. She had not expected the query; Inuyasha had never asked, and neither had Miroku or Sango, _exactly_ when she was from. When she thought about it, it seemed a little odd that they _hadn't _put the question to her.

_Then again..._

"That's...a hard question, Sesshomaru. I would say it is the year two thousand and two - but that's according to the westerner's calendar; Nihon uses it in my time, and so does most of the rest of the world."

"Westerner's calendar...you are speaking of the humans who live beyond the great mountains in the west, the pale men with yellow hair."

She was surprised.

"Yes...yes, that's right. How do you know about them?"

There was a shrug in his eyes; his voice dismissed her question.

"Youkai are not limited like humans; there are enemies and alliances among us that stretch far beyond this land, where the sun rises - even far into the west, where the sun sets. There are humans there with blackened skin, and they worship demons as gods; I have spoken with a few, but they fear me as much as humans here. I never stay long."

Kagome let out a bewildered breath.

"That...that's incredible. I would never have suspected..."

"Humans do not interact with youkai on such a level as to be aware of our politics, our alliances - only our wars ever make impression on mortals."

Kagome shivered.

"Wars among youkai? That's...not a pleasant thought."

"No. It is not."

His agreement surprised her, and he saw this.

"I am a warrior, Kagome - I fight for my own honor, and for strength, and for power. You know this."

She nodded; in the beginning, that had been the _only_ thing she knew about him.

"War is different. War is not for honor, war is not for strength, or for power. War is for chaos, and sometimes for revenge; war is the one thing that humans gave to youkai, and I have thought many times that they did this on purpose, to destroy us."

"What? Humans - "

"Yes. In ancient times, gods and demons walked the land, and they did fight amongst each other, but it was always a personal battle. Not until men came, with their armies and their banners, ranging thousands against each other, did that concept, that word, begin to move among us - _war_. "

Kagome heard that special shading of disgust in his voice, the tone he saved for all things human - and in this instance, for the first time, Kagome found herself agreeing with him.

"You don't know, Sesshomaru, how right you are. You...have no idea."

He saw terrible things written on her face, the thought of a nuclear blast first among the horrors, and for a moment he wondered - what kind of place is the future?

But he did not really want to know.

"Kagome, these are all interesting things, and I am glad that you are willing to share your truth with me -"

"My truth?"

She smiled; she thought that was a strange way to put it.

"Yes. But none of this is relevant to what is required of you now, mate. As I said, there are a thousand things..."

She tilted her head a little, looked at him with a curious expression that he could not identify.

"Well, then tell me."

"Tell you?"

He paused. Was it that easy? Could it be so simple; would she really listen?

"_I _cannot tell you, but there are words...there are things I could find that will help instruct you, teach you what it means to be youkai, Inu, Lady of the House of Blades."

Kagome took quick steps through the water and leapt lightly out of the spring; his eyes were drawn to her skin, and she fought the urge to cover herself again while she reached for clean clothes.

"Lady of the House of Blades – what does that mean? I thought -"

He took her obi, and gestured for her turn so he could wrap it around her waist; she was surprised at his skill.

"The rite of presentation will make it a formal truth, that title. Before it is real truth, you must learn the duties of a lady in this house - the duties of a mate. The names of my allies, and my enemies, the history that binds them to me; and those few who are my kin, you must know them as well, Kagome."

He paused, and she felt his fingers pulling the bow straight, and then his hands, resting lightly at her waist.

"I asked Kinawai to send messages; that is why he left us -"

"I wondered where he had gone! He didn't even say goodbye!"

"I did not allow it. He has been free enough in your company, lately, that I was...aggravated. It is my fault, not his - but the important thing is that the messages he brought are the summons to your presentation, at the dark of the moon."

Kagome felt a shiver that was not cold.

"And that is all, Sesshomaru? There is something else, I know it."

She felt his fingers tighten just the tiniest bit, and she turned in his grasp so she could stare straight up into his face.

"There was...a different set of messages, as well. Kinawai and I...we have called some of our own kin, some of those we trust the most, to come before the presentation and...meet you."

"_Meet_ me?"

He nodded.

"You need supporters, Kagome; I do not want your first meeting with the lords of Council to be a violent one."

Teeth showed in his sudden smile.

"Although...I am thinking, now, that it would be dangerous for them, and not for you. I was worried - but perhaps I need not have been."

"Sesshomaru..."

Their old clothes, he shoved unceremoniously into the bag, and then he reached out a hand for her and started to lead her back the way they had come.

"It could wait until tomorrow, mate; but Kinawai probably will not. He is part of the reason why I must insist we return _now_ - but be careful with him, Kagome. He is my ally, but that doesn't mean he has no plots of his own brewing, and he is notorious for his pursuit of females."

She giggled a little.

"I would never have guessed. But Sesshomaru, aren't I safe from him now because I am yours?"

The words she had chosen pleased him enormously, but he only allowed himself a small smile and a squeeze of her hand.

"If he is wise, that is true enough."

A cold wind blew over them, ripping away the end of his words, and Kagome shivered. It came from the north, that wind, and there was a tingle of unease in it - more than a tingle. But Sesshomaru did not seem to have noticed anything strange, so she shook off the feeling and turned her face back towards the village and the children who were waiting for her there.

* * *

A/N: Aha! Not quite as fast as I promised, but still pretty good considering I had twelve hours of class today! I decided to postpone Kasuka til the next chapter, because this one is already 5000 words, and the extra long chapters seem to be a pain in the butt. So - Reviews, beginning with last chapter as I promised! Much thanks to:

Raksha65: More updates, as promised! Much thanks for both reviews, actually, cause I just noticed there is one for the last chapter, too! You rock :D

Selene88Sakura: Hopefully it all is making more sense now, and that will continue to improve as more stuff gets explained! Sesshomaru holding Rin was the best thing I could think of to make him less...dangerous-seeming. I mean, she's tiny and cute, and _she's _not scared any!

Clara954: Thanks very much! I try hard with grammar and spelling and such...I don't have a beta, though, so sometimes stuff slips through!

Ichirei: That is so much easier to type! No mate for Jaken, that would be...weird to write. Ha! He's been Questing (for Sesshomaru, of course!) He'll reappear shortly I think...and YAY SENSE! I get worried that I'm too sneaky with stuff and then no one's going to know what's going on! But...maybe I don't have to worry! Yay! (again) And remember: giggling leads to hysteria, and hysteria leads to smelling salts, which are nasty! :D

nessabelle20: greatly do I thank you! As much as you love my chapters, I love your reviews!

Chaotic Reverie: As promised, Kagome's promise! Naked Sesshomaru is the best kind! I planned to have more Kasuka, more mystery, and more evil, but there was no room, alas. She can wait, though...might be better...(evil. plot. :D) But, another chapter, another day, and hopefully more awesome reviews! (on a completely unrelated note, for some reason I seem to have put lots of smiley's in this author's note...) More soon!

Anime Lady PIMP: He really can't, but he tries! And...more than a kiss, this time. Ha!

REDWOLF47: Thank you! Hope you like this one too!

Lunarcat12 Ah! Kouga will indeed go berserk! You caught me! But he'll wise up eventually...eventually...ha! And Kasuka, ah, Kasuka on a vengeance quest. People on a vengeance quest are always doomed and they don't even know it! Unless they're the hero - then occasionally they can not be doomed. Also, YAY WEDDING! I still haven't decided what kind of ceremony they're going to _have_, exactly, but Kagome will officiate and that will surely make people accept her more. Unless I write that they don't (but that would be...pointless.) Some questions answered this chapter...many more next chapter!

Niamh13: I worry about that occasionally - like I'm being too sneaky...have to work on that. But eventually, I promise - all things will be explained! I have this problem with writing 'he thought' and 'she said' and 'they mumbled' after everything...I try to sort of...insinuate it with prose? But if it's not really working than I need to figure something out; I have to give you extra thanks for the thoughtful critique! And sneaky sneaky you - have you been reading the sequel? :D

And, last but not least, Kouga's Older Woman: Ta-da! Sesshomaru brings Rin, _and_ Sango and Miroku get over themselves!

PHEW! More soon everyone, I have a ten hour shift tomorrow, so who knows? :D **Please Review!**

Final revisions, complete! :D


	20. XX: Hearts and Bones

XX.

Hearts And Bones

* * *

While he was walking back to the village with Kagome, Sesshomaru ventured to ask a hesitant question that was not without awkwardness. He _wanted_ to ask it - but he was not sure if he should, or if he could ask it correctly.

"Do you – feel better, mate?"

Kagome smiled faintly and stepped closer to him. There was something uncertain in her face, and he watched her deep breath with trepidation.

"Yes. Better. And I - actually, I have wanted to thank you, Sesshomaru. For - Inuyasha. Miroku told me you were the one who brought him back so we could bury him, once he and I had a chance to talk again. I didn't know, or I would've said something before."

She sighed, the long, shuddering sigh that carries with it the memory of tears. Sesshomaru was grateful, watching her, that that was all it was - but he was uncomfortable with her gratitude.

"You should not thank me – I should have kept you away. I should have done it myself; it was not your responsibility."

He turned finally so he could look her in the face, and she saw a strange mingling of feelings there; anger, relief, regret.

"I did not hate him, Kagome."

The words fell like stones into strange water, and sent out ripples of stillness; Kagome looked at him wide-eyed. Such an admission - was it possible?

"I cannot say I never wished him pain, but he was my brother. I did not _hate_ him. He was dangerous; his life was the burden my father left me, and that is all. But you...you should not have done it."

She smiled a very little smile, and he was left speechless by the sight.

"Didn't you hear Shippou, Sesshomaru? He wanted to die by my hand - he was afraid that instead, he might hurt me...he was always afraid. Now he is not... and I know he knew me, at the end. I hope somewhere, somehow, he has forgiven me, but even if he can't, I had no choice. There was nothing else I could do. Not even Tetsusaiga..."

She shook her head, sighed, wrapped her arms around her shoulders and squeezed herself tightly.

"I knew he was dead the day he tried to kill me, the day I was forced to run away from him, the day I realized he could protect me from every danger except himself...I have been grieving for him for a long time, Sesshomaru."

Her words became so quiet he could hardly hear them.

"Maybe it will be easier, now that he is really gone."

With a swift, almost convulsive movement her hand reached out and gripped his sleeve tightly; he stared down into her eyes, entranced and touched by a flutter of _hope_.

"Sesshomaru, what I wanted then...what I wanted _then_ is not what I want _now_. Am I - is that – _bad_?"

She was waiting for an answer; he could see that in her face. But he heard her words and suddenly could not breathe – there was a soft feeling leaping up in his throat, that dangerous _caring _again, and it burned out all his words. He was suddenly afraid that she would notice – that she would _know_.

With the greatest effort it had ever cost him, he forced out words and kept them steady.

"No. No, it is not bad."

_It is - it is - _

Sesshomaru swallowed his thoughts, pushed them away.

"Come, Kagome. Rin is waiting, and your kit."

She hesitated, watching his face. There was a gleam of redness in his eyes, fading as quickly as it appeared...along with something else that she did not understand.

"Yes. Yes, let's go."

Faster now, running just ahead of the wind, they came down together into the village. They found Shippou and Rin whispering excitedly, leaning against each other. The girl was fascinated by the magic of _crayons,_ and Shippou was more than happy to share his wondrous toy. It was unusual that he had anyone near his own age to share _with_ - the idea of a permanent companion, the idea of _sibling_, had grown on him quickly.

But he was up at once as they came near, looking up at Kagome with hope and expectant fear mingled on his face. Sesshomaru walked straight over to Rin and picked her up, and she barely blinked, silent now, not bothering to utter a word. Neither did Sesshomaru; there was no need. Rin was used to his presence, his comings and goings – nothing he did disturbed her.

Speaking softly now, Sesshomaru turned to Kagome; he could see Miroku and Sango waiting where they thought they would not intrude, but he wanted to be certain.

They were different, perhaps, than others of their kind - but they were human, and they were not Rin. He did not trust them.

"Do not be surprised if we return home and Kinawai is waiting, mate, and more than annoyed with me. I hate to admit when he is right, but..."

There was a faint shift in his features that might have been a scowl in the making, but it never appeared. Kagome was only confused; he had not really told her about his momentary encounter with the Tiger lord. Briefly, he explained.

"When I retrieved Rin, he was there; he was not happy that I would not stay. We have...matters to discuss, he and I."

_And you, mate._

"Why...why not stay and do what you had to do?"

His gaze held her still.

"I would not leave you here, where you did not want to be. I did not know you had reconciled with your friends, or I might not have been as concerned."

"Con-concerned?"

Sesshomaru could feel her confusion, a warm pulse beneath it. Again, he felt hope. It was an uncomfortable feeling, full of uncertainty. He did not like uncertainty.

As if nothing had been said which required elaboration, as if Kagome's questioning word was not a question at all, he turned away from her.

"If you are ready, we should go now."

She was smiling at him, and he did not like that smile; there was something almost _cunning_ in it, but before she could even open her mouth to answer, Shippou was in front of her, between them. No one had thought to tell him he was going, too.

"No! I won't let you take her away again - it isn't fair!"

Kagome went white, reached out to pull him back and console him. Sesshomaru looked down at Shippou and his expression did not change, but Kagome felt a flicker, the strangest sensation she had ever experienced. It was like another person in her thoughts; it was the _feeling_ of Sesshomaru. Her thoughts flashed back to the similar but more overwhelming rush she experienced when he bit her; her fingers reached up unconsciously to touch the tender flesh at her throat, and she shuddered. Again, there was a pulse of _otherness_.

_He is...amused, now. How do I know that? _

She found herself unable to identify how she knew it was even _him_, but there was something instinctual about it, a gut feeling that told her _this is mate. _She had only the faintest idea of the potential in that single word, _mate_, but suddenly she suspected for the first time what it _might_ mean.

Her eyes had wandered down to the ground and she shook her blank stare back up to Sesshomaru's face, looked between him and her little kit. Shippou was staring up at Sesshomaru in abject terror, every muscle in his little body tight. And then a strange thing happened - or at least it seemed strange to Kagome.

The little Kitsune relaxed, suddenly and completely, and lay on the ground on his back, let out a high-pitched whine. She saw satisfaction on Sesshomaru's face and then he reached out and pulled Shippou up off the dirt and held him up, focused his gaze on the green eyes of the kit.

"We are not leaving you here."

Shippou could only blink, astonished, and Kagome let out the laughter she had been restraining. She was not sure which of them was funnier - Shippou, hanging by the back of his vest from Sesshomaru's hand, or Sesshomaru, holding Shippou up, all four limbs dangling, in mid-air.

"Happy now, Shippou?"

Shippou returned Kagome's smile, but he could not answer her, thought that if he did, his breath might explode out of him and never return. He felt suddenly free, as if chains he had not been aware of were suddenly loosed. To live with youkai again, to have a real family again – these were things he had wanted that he had not dared to admit even to himself.

_When I had Kagome I didn't mind living with humans. Sango and Miroku are friends, but it isn't the same without _her_. Without Kagome...I can't stand it!_

Still, his goodbyes were heartfelt, and Kagome's more so, when their two human companions finally dared to step forward, smiling nervously.

"I'll come back; you know I'll come back, Sango - Miroku - thank you -"

She found herself suddenly being squeezed very tightly, first by Sango, and then by Miroku.

"Don't forget, Kagome, we need you here for our wedding! If you disappear again -"

"Don't worry, Miroku. I won't forget, and I won't disappear. It's not that far, after all."

She could see Sesshomaru's impatience, and could not blame him; this place was wearing on the senses. She held out her arms for Shippou, and he hopped into them with a beaming smile and a last wave for Sango and Miroku. Kagome, too, smiled.

"Goodbye!"

Wind whipped the path in front of them into a tiny whirlwind of dust, and fallen leaves were sucked up too, made a red-and-yellow pattern in the brown-flecked wind and then settled a few moments later. When the dust had died down, Sesshomaru, Kagome, and the children they had been carrying were gone from the humans' sight.

By the time they had come to the Wall and the shut gate, perhaps an hour later by the sun, Sesshomaru had calmed a great deal. Kagome found herself unsure of how she knew this; there was no external sign, but Kagome looked at him closely when they stopped, reached out with hesitant fingers to touch his cheek.

"You are not disturbed, Sesshomaru, you are not bothered?"

She was struck by a sudden thought that made her inexplicably sad.

"I feel like I am trouble to you; Sometimes...sometimes I think I have done nothing but cause you trouble since the very beginning."

Having said it, she could not meet his eyes, but he was laughing at her, very quietly, and she stole a glance at his face, saw a warmth there that he had not shared with her before. It was quite unwilling, something that he could not suppress no matter how hard he tried - but he did not know quite how badly he failed.

"That is what you think, is it?"

He held Rin carefully in one arm and reached out the other hand to tilt up Kagome's chin so he could look her in the face.

"You are right, mate, you are trouble -"

He had to restrain himself from laughing at her suddenly crestfallen expression.

" -But I have decided I do not like 'peace and quiet'...or being alone."

Kagome stumbled mid-step, felt a lurching sensation, as though her heart had tried to beat twice in one moment.

Sesshomaru looked at her out of the corner of his eye, watching her face. He held out his hand for her.

"Are you coming inside, Kagome?"

She reached out and took his hand. The fingers closing over her fingers carried a fatal potential, but she was not afraid.

_I have not been afraid…not ever, not even the very first time. Why is that, I wonder? What is it you say with your eyes when you look at me – what is it I am missing, Sesshomaru?_

As Kagome saw the answer she could not understand, Sesshomaru saw her question and understood it all too well. He would not, could not answer it. Not now, when her feelings were still confusion at high-speed; not yet.

* * *

Freed from Kinawai's vigilance, free from the strangling scent-cords of the young Inu and his mating, Kasuka had fled north - farther north than even the fortress of her mate, across icy seas that wore waves of black water like dark garments. She had crossed dim, stony shores where neither demons nor men made impression on her senses; now, night fell among the northern-most mountains in drops of darkness. Her cloak rippled as she passed by. The mating scent had spurred her to action as soon as it reached her; she was aware of only one individual who could possibly be the mate of the Inu _now_.

_That human woman! The woman I saw!_

He had no females, no alliances, no distant kin to mate - many of them, she had killed herself; over time, the long, long time behind her. Like - his father.

_Like his father, we will destroy him! Ryuukotsusei is ten seasons dead, killed by the half-breed - but there are others who would relish the chance to put this dog back in his place! Finally, after so long, he has given me a weapon. Ah..._

She smiled, an expression of pure pleasure.

_This might even be easy._

Caution wrinkled the air around her as she moved, a sensation of danger that intensified until even the few bent and struggling trees seemed to be pulling back, retreating, crumpling close to the ground for comfort.

Like the flowers that close their buds and curl their leaves against the darkness, waiting for the dawn, the world was in hiding from her approach. There was dimness around her even in the night, something more than the shimmer of her cloak.

_I am close, I know it. Did you think that putting it in _this _place would make sure it would not be found, mother? Did you think that time alone would protect your secret? I was young, but I have _never _forgotten!_

Kasuka was following the rumor of her childhood, the half-faded memory of a visit to this place she was seeking in her long-vanished youth. There was no trail, no true path, but ahead of her there was a thicker clump of stunted trees, almost enough to call a forest, that was faintly familiar. They were more gnarled than those she had passed already; hundreds of years fending off the icy winds had made them into little more than stumps with crooked stubs for branches, but she smiled to herself and moved more quickly.

Hours passed, and gradually she slowed again, almost lost her way and found it by chance beneath a spur of remembered rock thrust out from the mountains like a questing arm.

When she had still been a child, when she could barely speak, she had come to the place she was seeking, following her mother. That had been after the War, but before the real battle, before the Inu no Taisho rose in Challenge, before her father's death. In those days, there had been pride in her, pride in her Line, and her Blood, and the legacy of the past, the rise from Darkness.

_The opposite of now._

Now, her mother hid in the darkling trees of a dream-haunted wood, and her father hid below the earth, an old grave, a grey grave, buried in the ice - her destination. And on the path - the place where he had died, where his sword was buried.

After a long walk, she found that place, where the trees faded into a clearing and a low, worn mound heaved itself up toward the failing stars; a strangely shaped mound, if one did not know that it was the burial place of a weapon and not a body. Kasuka spoke quietly, holding the edges of her cloak in her fingers and twisting the fabric. The dawn was leaping up into the sky, but she ignored it.

"I will do it, father. I will do it for you, for the honor of our House. I will make that dog and his house nothing but a name, an empty sound, an echo in the wind. When the last of his line is dead and that blood is dried up from the world, I will bring his weapon here, and I will bury it with your sword - and his flesh, I will scatter...so that you can rest easy, Father. After so long...our vengeance is close."

_More than two thousand years, I have been waiting..._

The memory of the last time she had seen her father alive was strong in her; the glitter of his eye as he walked out to face his foe, his pride and courage in the face of death.

_Father..._

The memory tightened her will.

Snow blinked in the wind like a flutter of white gauze; sharp cold pulled at Kasuka's robes, beckoning north, further along the path. She did not feel the wind; the old, old anger made her hot. From here, the path was easier to follow, winding up among the rocks despite the persistence of scrubby brush, long, hair-thin roots and branches that reached for her feet as if trying to hold her back.

The faint outline of the way she followed led up onto the shadowed slopes of the mountains, and ended abruptly in darkness, a silent cave, barely tall enough for her to stand in and not very deep.

_Yes. This is the place. _

Her father's grave was beneath her feet; she knew it. Frozen crystals of snow clung to the only thing of interest in the small cave, almost obscuring the silhouette and features of a dragon-shaped stone, alone in the center of the floor, wings outspread, mouth open. Characters had been carved into the beckoning claws of the dragon, worn away now by the ice and the passage of uncounted seasons, but she knew what had to be done.

The claws of her right hand slid into the flesh of her left arm, and she inhaled a sharp breath.

Quickly, she splashed thick blood over the ice, into the open stone jaws. Almost immediately, there was a screeching, grinding sound that drove Kasuka back to the mouth of the cave, hands over her ears. When the sound stopped and she could look up, she saw that the earth had opened beside the Dragon-marker, showing a staircase of shallow steps that led down into the frozen mountain.

"Power sleeps here, yet it moves. It moves! And I remember..."

Her voice faded into a whisper, half-deranged. She could almost _see_ the funeral procession, hear the bells, warning and summoning at once - but there was nothing, no one to disturb the abyss.

Carefully, she walked down the stone stairs, feeling patches of ice slippery beneath the soft leather of her shoes. The stairs were cracked and worn; dust lay inches thick. At the bottom of the steps, there was utter darkness. A glint of the snowy dawn penetrated just enough that she could see her own footprint, a disturbance in the dust, but that was all. In the dark, her eyes gathered brightness, as if they could pull the light out of the sky that was hidden above her, and with that shining intent she moved forward. The whisper of her feet was loud in the stillness, an intrusion.

In front of her was the reason for the mystery, the ages of silence – the tomb of the her father, the tomb of the last Dragonlord. Kasuka took ten quick steps forward, and bowed very low.

"Father, I have come."

When she raised her head, she could not help but let out a sigh of pleasure. Behind the tomb, there was an altar, and on the altar a strange collection of artifacts – a golden chain, a mirror, an unlit lamp, a knife.

Her memory was displayed in front of her, intact; she could see her mother in her head, placing each of these items here, batting her fingers away from the shining surfaces - and then turning away, leading her back up the stairs...

Kasuka reached out to the altar and felt a whisper of power, a tingle in her fingertips. She took only the mirror. She held it flat in her hands, a surface of silver large enough to cover them both, polished to a high sheen. For more than two thousand years, it had laid here, undisturbed - yet on it alone, no dust had clung; the metal was bright and untarnished.

Carefully, as if it were as fragile as an eggshell, Kasuka carried the mirror out into the hard northern dawn. The early sunlight sliced the peaks of the mountains into lines of light and darkness, sharp as a knife, and Kasuka held the mirror up carefully on the palms of her hands, and looked in it.

She saw darkness, an infinite night, and a thousand glittering pinpoints of lighted stars. Of the day-sky above her, of her own face, there was no sign. She smiled, and caressed that strange and lingering reflection with gentle fingers. The tips of her claws made a strange sound on the metal.

_Now, I will be able to go to my people, the sleeping Dragon clans, and remind them of my name. Already, they are restless; they will be easy to provoke - especially when they hear that once again, an Inu has taken a human woman! _

And she paused for a moment, her thoughts, her steps - who else was there that might help her? After all this time, was it only her own Kin that had been ill-used by this dog and his kin?

_I wonder…who else is dissatisfied, who else might be useful in my cause? The Inu has made many enemies; others seek vengeance - the Wolf, now…his father was killed by the dead Inu no Taisho, just as my father was killed._

As soon as the thought occurred to her, she made up her mind. A common bond could lead to common cause.

_Kouga, the Wolf. And he is in need of help, that one; he and his have suffered greatly under the darkness just past. For a long time, he has been a lord without vassals. But I will need leverage; will it be enough for him, to know that the Inu takes a human as his own? It was enough...for his father. _

Before she touched the power waiting in her hands, there was groundwork to be laid, a trellis of rumors to build...

Much more swiftly than she had scaled them, Kasuka descended from the frozen mountains. Carefully, she wrapped the mirror she had stolen in a bit of cloth, and hid it away beneath her cloak. It waited silently, patiently, still reflecting a night sky and a pattern of stars that had vanished in the Days of Darkness, before history began.

* * *

Late in the afternoon there was noise at the Gate, and Sesshomaru knew who it would be, and went outside to greet Kinawai before a scent had even reached him.

"Are you still upset that I did not wait, or stay, Kinawai? You should have sent a message, and then you would not have needed to worry."

Kinawai pushed the hair back out of his eyes and smiled, but it was a smile of fangs, a hard smile. They clasped arms on the stone path that led into the quietest garden, but Kinawai's face was already layering itself with troubles; Sesshomaru could see him sorting quickly through the pile of his concerns, prioritizing.

"Worry? I am running out of messengers I can trust, Sesshomaru – and I will not waste them on you! The night of no moon – it is almost on us; sixteen days, that is all. I am promised trouble, most of it because of you, and your Kagome. There are many more than I thought there would be who are not pleased to hear of your new mate."

Sesshomaru did not look in the least surprised, but Kinawai shook his head grimly.

"It gets worse, my friend. None of them know who she is, or who she belongs to – no House claims the honor, no family. You and I know why that is, but the rest do not - my mother's kin have sent me messages, that say there are wings moving in the north, to where they don't know, and why, they don't know – and others tell me that they have seen strange things moving on the land. North, in my own lands, and in the west, and on the edge of the mountains bordering your territory."

Sesshomaru was silenced by that; the defiant expression was fading from his face.

"Strange things? What does that mean, Kinawai?"

Kinawai shrugged.

"What I say, and nothing more - I know nothing more. Three of my best messengers have not come back, and I do not expect them to. I sent them to find what they could in the north; do you understand? My own Guard, into my own lands – but the messengers do not return, and I hear nothing!"

And then he slashed open their conversation with what he thought would be the most shocking words of all.

"What I do hear, louder than anything else, is that your new mate...is a human. A human, Sesshomaru! And there are alliances being rethought because of this; I hear the whispers of Challenge forming and I can do nothing to stop them."

It was beyond his comprehension when Sesshomaru actually _laughed_, succumbing to an involuntary reaction.

"It is not funny, Sesshomaru! The Council -"

"Kinawai."

The laughter had stopped as abruptly as it had started, and Kinawai eyed Sesshomaru for a moment warily. Was he - _insane_? He had been laughing at the rumor and the circumstances, the same that had once killed his father! Now, he only smiled, but even so -

"You are thinking I am mad, Kinawai, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. _I_ am wondering what it is you are worried about...since it is easily proved to anyone that I have _not_ taken a human for a mate. The shape she once wore is of no concern to anyone, but even if it was known, it would change nothing. A kitsune, too, or a tanuki, can take a human shape - but that does not mean they become human. She is miko, and once she was Dragon - and now, because she is mine, she is Inu. That is all that should concern anyone else."

Sesshomaru could feel Kinawai watching him, though he did not look up to make sure of it.

"But I can _use _this, Kinawai, and I will - to test the ones you say are trustworthy. If they come - "

"They are coming, Sesshomaru, make no doubt about that."

And he shook his head.

"Bring me back the news, you said. Bring me back the rumors and the whispers, you said. I dislike being forced to run back and forth – even for you, even when I know the reasons. But then – you were not even here, were you? And you are so _amused_ - "

He almost snorted with disgust; his arm shot out and he caught Sesshomaru by the collar of his haori.

"Do not forget, Sesshomaru – I am your friend, as I was your father's friend, but you should not presume too much."

A wide snarl had formed across Sesshomaru's face, silent but full of threat, and he spoke through it with difficulty.

"When you say such things, it makes me think I should be very unhappy – Kinawai."

Easily, Kinawai released him and did not look away. He would not be intimidated, though he understood his danger well enough. Their recent _excursion_ in Sesshomaru's _dojo_ had proved to him that he could not now, if he had ever been able, defeat Sesshomaru. So he laughed and forced the sound to come without effort, took a few steps along the garden path towards the door that led inside, and looked back over his shoulder.

"Unhappy? You should not be unhappy, Sesshomaru. The worry that I brought with me, you have dismissed - and you have your new mate. Or... is she not enough?"

Sesshomaru smoothed his features, took a deep breath and held it. It would not do to alienate Kinawai – not even if he was the most infuriating friend Sesshomaru ever had. Not even if sometimes - sometimes -

He took another deep breath.

"I do not dismiss your worry, Kinawai, not completely... but I do wonder how it is that something which only you could know is now widespread rumor."

"Are you suspicious of my trust, Sesshomaru? Since you asked it of me, I have said no word to anyone about her – not even Atawai, who has sent curious messages of his own. The East, he says, is curious - saying nothing about his own ravenous rumor-mongering. The East! To him and all the others, I say that I know no more than they, but already there are questions, and more than questions. Atawai even questions the rite; he calls it 'ancient foolishness'."

A bark of laughter escaped Sesshomaru's mouth, and his eyes burned with a difficult amusement.

"Ancient foolishness? If he comes to her presentation with words like that on his tongue, I will tear him to pieces and write the next Record in his blood!"

Kinawai's eyes reached out for him, pierced him.

"And have you heard from him, or any of the others? They should have sent acceptance by now – "

Sesshomaru interrupted him.

"I have heard nothing from anyone."

He smiled, remembering, and then continued, more serious.

"I was teaching Kagome to hunt, but someone close to her was wounded, the kit she protects. She felt his danger, and followed it."

He realized suddenly that as much as the event had occupied his own thoughts the last few days, Kinawai would not yet know that his brother was dead, but Kinawai was preoccupied with his own thoughts and conclusions.

"I saw the girl outside and spoke to her; I have been waiting. You picked a poor time to disappear, Sesshomaru – and you are telling me it was for a kit – that your mate has a _kitsune_ she calls her own? What kind of miko _is_ she?"

"The right kind."

Sesshomaru's eyes wore a sudden gleam, but he dimmed it almost immediately.

"The kitsune's name is Shippou; he has been hers for some time now."

Kinawai's eyes opened just a little wider with curiosity, but Sesshomaru shrugged and turned back to the more important subject, half-frowning, seeking a smile of pleasure that he would have liked to come easily but which was proving elusive.

"You will want to know more than just that, Kinawai. My brother - Inuyasha is dead."

Suddenly, all the annoyance faded from Kinawai's features and was overtaken by an expression of relief.

"Good! Good, that is good. It was past time you took care of him, but now the Council will not listen if –"

"I did not kill him, Kinawai. Kagome – Kagome was the one who did it."

As he said it he found the smile that had been evading him, and turned it on Kinawai.

"Ahh…she is beautiful when she kills, Kinawai. Beautiful…_perfect_."

Sesshomaru's smile disturbed Kinawai greatly. The necessity of what had been done he knew all too well. Inuyasha's persistent defiance of his brother's authority and his possession of Tetsusaiga had created more than a little stir among those who sat on the demon Council, and those who only wished to aggravate violence often spoke Inuyasha's name. Sesshomaru's position, the defense of his father's title and honor, required this death – but to see beauty in his mate, as she killed his own brother!

For Kinawai, it only highlighted how much of Sesshomaru's entire focus had been shifted onto Kagome, and for a moment, he wondered if he had done the right thing. What had he really done, _encouraging_ the claim that Sesshomaru had made, subtly forcing him to the point of no return?

_And on _Eldest's _orders! I have heard nothing from her since that message, telling me to come to Sesshomaru, telling me to bring him those specific words - Awaken his destiny, she said. Use the Sight that was given to you, she said, and I have done that...and more than that. Does that mean that I have done as she desired? _

It was the probable, if not the definite, truth; Eldest's message had been the first time in more than a thousand years that a lord of Council had had direct contact with her, and she had made herself quite clear. Kinawai himself had never seen her, but the experience of those he had spoken with and the hard words of Sesshomaru's Records had prevented him from dismissing that single, fragile sheet of paper. The idea of forgery had not even entered his mind, but neither could he comprehend her motives. After so long, to break her silence - and for such a reason! A mate for Sesshomaru...the release of some human miko from an ancient magic - what did she gain by that?

_But this speculation is pointless. I will never know why; the chances are that I will never hear from her again, and certainly, I will never see her._

* * *

A/N: And...another chapter! This is one is slightly longer than usual, because I must spend some time the next day or so working on my xxxHolic and Death Note fictions; I get all caught up in one or the other and then I lose track, and that's no good because I have...what, 9 or 10 of these things now? Ridiculous. Anyway, Ta-da! Kasuka, Kinawai, and Kagome, oh my! Ha, that's actually kind of fun to say. Also, this chapter's title is the name of a Bjork song/mix thing I have...random, right? Anyway, here's hoping that the chapter is not too long, and onwards to reviews!

Final Revisions...Complete!

Firstly, much thanks to mistress-of-the-abyss-2; for me, the point of writing is to tell a good story, and evoke emotion - so you are awesome for letting me know I could do that! Hopefully you find these chapters up to standard!

Niamh13: Much thanks! The earlier chapters were much harder to revise; around chapter...4 or 5 or so I just started completely rewriting them, and it's been a bit easier :D.

Kouga's Older Woman: They do! Besides, everyone needs a tiny Sesshomaru running around, that would be...the cutest thing ever! Ahh-ha I have such a plan, such an evil, evil plan...poor Kagome. Being youkai is just so hard!

ChaoticReverie: Yes! Thank you! Woo! [overexcited...] Sesshomaru is hard; I actually started writing this fanfiction in the first place because I wanted practice with his sort of character; very cold, very calculating - but really not cold at all, just extremely well controlled and very dangerous! , And I fixed bathe. Ha! I can't believe I missed that; ridiculous! (actually for the first three minutes the chapter was posted it had no title, so I think I was just tired! :p) I have to thank you for your compliments, too - they give me a fuzzy feeling!

Lunarcat12: Sesshomaru is fun when he's not being an ass! And you know, I had no plans for a scene of Kagome kicking anyone's ass very soon - well, not counting what she's already done to Inuyasha - but you know what? She's totally going to kick someone's ass! Ha! In fact, I think I'm going to write that now!

Silverkitsune26: Glad to know you love it! Don't worry, Sango and Miroku will be married soon...I just can't decide if I want them to have an autumn or winter wedding. Thanks very much for your thoughtful comments!

And...onward, to the next chapter! Coming Soon: The Few, The Proud, The Ones Sesshomaru (Sort Of) Trusts! Me=wow, chapter 20! You=Review! Please!

Final Revisions - Complete! Joy! R&R


	21. XXI: Like The Morning Moon

XXI.

Like The Morning Moon

* * *

Sesshomaru spent the morning calming his temper after a night made long by Kinawai's whispered worries. Despite them, he was still not as distressed as Kinawai insisted he should be. The answers to the messages he had sent through his _friend _began to arrive while the morning was still fresh; answers and affirmation from west and north and east, from the lords he needed as witnesses to the Rite, the highest lords of Council. There was word, too, from the few that he had summoned separately, and it was with the thought of his kin and how he might introduce Kagome to them that he occupied himself, ignoring the clamor of the opening and closing Gate.

Kagome, however, was interested in even these simple proceedings. She had never seen youkai like these _messengers _before, but they seemed disconcerted to be met by silence at the gate, to find invisible hands taking messages from their fingers, and they did not stay longer than necessary. Early in the day, Sesshomaru slipped out of her sight, but she waited, loitering near the gate where she could see but not be seen. Last to be received, just before noon, were a pair of Wolves, tall but trembling.

Kagome saw them coming, around the corner of the path from the Gate to the main doors, and her eyes went wide. She knew those faces - Ginta and Hakkaku! It had been a long time since she had seen them, and they had always been kind to her, but...

With a darting speed that had once been incomprehensible to her, Kagome disappeared from their sight. Seeing them made her think of something that she had not considered previously, and which made her feel suddenly queasy.

_Kouga!_

She could not even imagine what his reaction would be to finding her like this, changed as she was now and in Sesshomaru's...hands.

Inuyasha had been one thing; the two of them, Kouga and Inuyasha, were alike and roughly equals, in power and in stubbornness. But Sesshomaru -

_I'll just have to hope Kouga doesn't do anything stupid if he comes here. He'll see me when he does, there's no need for Ginta and Hakkaku to get beaten up for bringing bad news earlier than that. I wonder...should I - tell Sesshomaru, should I say something?_

But she could not think of anything to say, or how she would say it even if she found the words.

_Maybe I should go inside...just...just in case -_

Her caution was well-founded, but came much too late, and her methods were utterly ineffective. She had forgotten, or just had not considered, that she could not hide her scent - and both Ginta and Hakkaku were Wolves, and knew her well. She missed their momentary pause as they were leaving; a breeze from the inside of the fortress taunted their noses with both the memory of her human scent and the evolution of that scent which was her self now.

"Hakkaku, do you smell what I smell?"

They had been walking towards the gate, but Ginta stopped and turned, looked around. Hakkaku blinked thoughtfully and took deep breaths, and then shrugged.

"I dunno, what do you smell?"

Ginta swallowed heavily; this was _not good_!

"Kagome-nee-san..."

"Kagome-nee-san!"

The two wolves stared at each other for a moment, and then Ginta shivered as if a winter wind had caught him off guard. Hakkaku looked genuinely confused.

"But if...if she's _here_ -"

Ginta frowned, looked around quickly.

"I know! I know, but...but that rumor, what if it was true?"

They had caught wind of the supposed nature of Sesshomaru's new mate on their journey here, but neither of them had dared to believe it. Sesshomaru, that cold one - with a human mate?

Hakkaku was staring at Ginta as if he had grown a second head, but even he couldn't deny the possibility. After all, it had been known for seasons, if not years, that the young Inu no Taisho had been amusing himself by allowing a human girl-child to follow him. So - what if - what if?

"Ginta...if Kagome-nee-san is - then - then -"

"D-d-don't even think it! And when we get back, not a word to Kouga-sama!"

"Huh?"

Hakkaku was almost startled out of his fear.

"What? Of course we have to -"

"No! If we do, what do you think will happen to us?"

Hakkaku swallowed sharply and let out a little moan of fear.

"Yeah, but - "

"And after that, what do you think will happen to _Kouga-sama_?"

"We better...we better run, then, so he doesn't ask _any_ questions!"

"Yes, we better!"

The Gate closed with a crash behind them, and stayed shut.

* * *

Not only Kagome was concerned with Kouga; Sesshomaru, too, was thinking of the Wolf lord, but with a different emphasis. He held the formal acceptance of invitation that Kouga had sent in his hands, and stared at the closed gate from his library windows. If he had heard Ginta and Hakkaku speaking Kagome's name, he might have had an entirely different set of things to think about, but he did not, and his thoughts skipped fluidly from one possibility to another.

_So Kouga comes, without even a sarcastic turn of phrase. It is moving too smoothly, all of it, but I suppose I should not complain. As Kinawai says, I should be grateful they do not take rumor seriously, or I would already be throat-deep in the blood of my Challengers._

With a swift, sure movement, he turned away and followed the lure of Kagome's scent. He found her without any trouble; she was sitting in the Hall, drinking hot tea with Rin and Shippou, watching the two of them whisper together with an expression of soft warmth on her face that pleased him.

He had been feeling an uneasy wariness whenever she was not smiling, as if she might suddenly leap up and leave him without warning. Slowly, each day, that cautiousness had been passing away from him - and then had come Inuyasha. Now, he did not know what to think; he could sense her feelings but he could not always deduce their meaning or their origin. It was like trying to solve a puzzle by feel in the dark, without knowing the original image.

But at this moment, she was happy; she had turned to look at him as soon as he stepped through the door, and that pleased him as much as her motherly expression. He was continually surprised by how pleasant it was to be in her presence, to feel her attention on him. He shook himself free of an abrupt, delirious feeling, and breathed more lightly – there was something new in her scent, a heaviness that was unusual even for her.

He succeeded only partially in trying to restrain himself from the depths, but it was easier when he sat beside her at the table and the sweet and open expression passed away in response to whatever it was she could see on his face.

"Is something wrong, Sesshomaru?"

He shook his head.

"No."

He continued to stare at her, and she reddened slowly under the intensity of his regard.

"Sesshomaru?"

She saw him shake himself, not a large movement but one that sent a quiver through his whole body.

_What on earth?_

But he gave her no time to contemplate that strange moment.

"Tomorrow night, Kagome, you will meet my kin – my close kin, at least, not all those who can claim a tie through blood...and some others, at Kinawai's insistence. It is important, this first meeting; you must let them learn you a little at a time, very little. Do you understand?"

She smiled obliquely and leaned forward. She had been waiting for him to tell her what was going to happen, what he was planning. She couldn't even guess, although it seemed obvious that something was being plotted. They had been home less than two days, but Kinawai was never far away, always brimming with advice, or warnings that came in hissing whispers and faded in her presence.

_I really have no idea what's going on! Sesshomaru is good at keeping secrets, or being mysterious, or…whatever he is trying to do. And Kinawai! Whatever it was I thought I understood, now he's just...normal. For a demon, anyway. _

But at the moment she was more interested in her mate and the things he kept insisting were important - and then putting off. Why, even last night, he had - he -

_Last night..._

She flushed. What kind of shameless _female_ was he turning her into, anyway?

_He says I am his, but what does that mean? Does he mean me to be some sort of...some sort of kept woman, someone for his lust?_

She looked up suddenly and caught his eye on her, his raised eyebrow, and almost groaned.

_Or maybe it's _my _fault! Can't keep my mind on anything - _

"Kagome?"

She shook her head and restored her sideways smile.

"How can I understand? Whatever it is you are intending, you haven't told me very much about it, _mate_."

It was a gentle reprimand; he acceded to her right to administer it with the barest of growls, and looked away from her and crossed his arms. Suddenly he was trying to look interested in the _nothing_ that was visible through the window.

"What I am _intending_ is not a mystery, Kagome. It is presentation, to show the lords of Council that you are my mate, chosen, marked, bonded – it is to give you the proof of my House, before the eyes of any who might Challenge your place."

"And tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night is only a meeting with those you should technically already know; it is necessary preparation for the Rite. Females of your family should sit with you at this time, introducing you to the highest ranked among your new kin – _gently_. It is preparation for the presentation, so that you need not be among strangers."

An interesting expression moved across his face, neither pleased nor discomforted. His eyes darted away from the window to her face.

"Still, since you have no kin that can be with you during the Rite, this meeting will act as a test. It is why they are coming."

He stood, and pulled her up with him.

"And that reminds me – it will be an an important day. You will honor my kin by dressing well – the ones that serve me will bring you robes and veils in the morning."

He reached out, touched her lips, that two-finger kiss.

"It is tradition that I had never understood, but now - I do not want them looking at you while I can help it."

His fingers left her lips, traced the smooth line of her jaw, her throat.

"You don't - I -"

There was a moment of distress that tingled between them, and Sesshomaru caught an echo of her upset, felt tightness under his fingers as she swallowed thickly. He frowned.

_Shame. She thinks I would hide her from shame. It is almost enough...to make me angry. Who does she think I am?_

He asked her this, and she was abashed by his question but fiery enough in her response.

"Well - well, if that isn't why, then tell me!"

He blinked thoughtfully for a moment; he could not lie, but the truth...he did not know if the truth would be good for her.

_Or for me._

"I don't think I should, Kagome."

"Well, _I_ think you should tell me. I think -"

He turned her face with one hand, bent down so they were eye to eye.

"Since you ask twice, I will answer - if you promise you will not protest."

Slowly, her eyes not moving from his face, she nodded. Sesshomaru chose his words carefully, intent on avoiding any misunderstanding.

"You are mine, Kagome - so why should they look on you, unless I have given a part of you to them? That will not happen until the night of no moon, not until you are mine in the sight of Council, not until they see that the Blood in you rises only for me."

Her eyes widened slightly at the twitch of his smile; the more he talked, the more she was beginning to be suspicious of the things that were going to happen to her, but at the same time she could not help but be overwhelmed by how strongly he claimed her.

"And Kagome - you are beautiful, too beautiful to share. I would hide that from them, and keep it for myself as long as I can."

She stared at him; her smile became shy.

"If it is for _that _reason, I will wear your veils, Sesshomaru. For _your_ reason."

He smiled, suddenly and without restraint, and she was shocked breathless. He was - it was - it changed him, that expression on his face! It was like looking at a totally different person.

She had no idea that it was her own warmth that brought such a response out of him; if someone had tried to tell her that, she probably would have laughed.

But _her_ reaction was obvious to Sesshomaru, the slow disappearance of her flush, an honest, open smile that washed the lingering remains of grief out of her face completely. Sesshomaru found himself wondering what else he could do to get such a reaction out of her, but he said nothing more for a long moment, contenting himself with her sideways, questioning glance.

It was the same question he had seen in her before; the _what is that?_ directed at his caring for her, the feeling he knew she would not dare to suspect. No one would; he had spent careful centuries crafting himself for the world, exploiting his early-formed reputation for cold cruelty, expanding on it.

But _her_!

Just by being his mate, she was closer to him than anyone else could ever be... and he blamed Kinawai for that, even while _blame_ no longer seemed the appropriate term. How could he blame someone for something...he had begun to cherish?

_And since that is so, does it matter? Does it matter if she knows?_

"Kagome..."

She turned her face up to him, waiting, and he found himself unable to continue, shunted himself along an entirely different track of conversation.

"Today I have put aside some of the Record for you to read, the History of the Days of Darkness and the Songs of the Beginning."

"Songs of the...is there really time to start from the beginning? You said there were a thousand things yesterday, when -"

He shrugged.

"We will skip a good deal of the intervening history; there are only a few things that you _must_ know, references you cannot be ignorant of. I do not want them to question your origin, Kagome - especially with the...with what you have shared with me."

She grinned, and he was once again astonished at how generous she was with her happiness.

"That's probably a good idea."

Sesshomaru fell silent again after that, and Kagome watched him almost breathlessly for a few moments, as if she was waiting for something else...and then as if she had suddenly had an idea that she could not let go of, even though it was probably very bad.

"Sesshomaru..."

He eyed her expectantly.

_Are you going to ask it, Kagome, the question I am avoiding? I will answer it, and I will not lie to you; but do you really want to know? Will you listen; will you believe me?_

But she had said she trusted him.

"Sesshomaru, I wanted - no, I need to know -"

She swallowed, took a deep breath. He could see, with some amusement, that Rin and Shippou were watching from their end of the table with more trepidation than he felt himself. As she looked at him, he overcame his fear, knew she was not going to run away, that she was not going to leave him. He could see in her face that she had never even considered it, and as he realized that, as he thought it, he knew how he would answer her.

_If she actually finishes the question._

Kagome looked up at him and saw that he was smiling - and suddenly she could read in his eyes that he knew exactly what she was going to ask - that he was _waiting_ for it. The words escaped her in a rush.

"I need to know why you want me, Sesshomaru. I need to know why you say _'you are mine_'. I know you wouldn't say it if you didn't mean it, but so little time - "

"So little?"

"Since I woke, it's only been - "

He cut her off easily, caught her up in his eyes.

"Since you woke, it has been long enough that you gave yourself to me. Since you woke, it has been long enough that you are smiling for me, Kagome. For _me_ - "

She drew in a sharp breath, flushed dark.

"I should have known - I should have known you would not really answer me!"

There was a hint of anger in her, rising over her embarrassment just the tiniest bit. He was pleased by it; there was no fear in her, this brazen female, his mate! He gave her a growl that expressed his pleasure, and watched her subsequent collapse into confusion with some amusement.

"Yes, Kagome; I like your anger. And your smiles, and your wanton ways."

He smiled, and again it did more than take the sting out of his words; it captured her.

"Before you were wounded and I brought you to this place, you saw what your scent did to me, how it worked on me with no subtlety. You should have known, Kagome, that I watched you after I was forced to save you; that I listened to you breathe, that I suffered while you slept."

"Suffered -"

"I lived on your scent and the fragrance of your dreams, listened to your screams and the wild panic of your nightmares. I - I comforted you."

He was no longer looking at her; Kagome was breathing fast, her fingers tight on the cushion of her chair. He had _comforted_ her? She had, not quite a flashback, but a moment of sharpened memory; his hands, on her forehead, her cheeks...but he was still speaking, continuing onwards and dragging her with his words.

"I sat with you, protected you; do you think I do not know you, mate? I have heard your troubles spill out of your mouth in fever and in sleep, and after a while you do not know how much I longed to kill Inuyasha...just for you. For what he had done to you."

He closed his eyes; he could see her in his thoughts as she had been at the very last, when anti-venom and fever medicine had not been enough, when he had been afraid that Tenseiga would be the only thing that could save her. How pale her skin had been, how shallow her breath!

"You made me _afraid_, Kagome, and in my fear I ran from this place, left for three days, and returned certain I would kill you; I brought Rin away from here, to my hidden den, and came back with that intent...and instead, instead, I looked at you, and saw death approaching without my hand...and I gave you my blood. My _blood_ - "

She stopped him at those words, hearing his strained emphasis and shaking her head just at little, her eyes wide and bewildered.

"But you are forgetting again, Sesshomaru. I don't know - I don't know what that _means_."

He stared down at her and his face became dark, intense.

"The blood of a youkai lord can heal the wounds of humans, even if they are on the brink of death, but it is the greatest taboo among us. It is not done!"

His voice was harsh, as if to impress upon her how serious this was, and he succeeded - but the impact of his words was not focused in the direction he intended.

"And you - you did that for me, Sesshomaru?"

Her voice had become small, not much more than a whisper. He let out a shaky breath.

"Yes. Because -"

His eyes dilated, seemed to open, wide and dark, and pull her in.

"Because at first you intrigued me, with your power and your scent, the thing I could not deny. And then...learning you, watching you, I began to _care_ for you; like Rin, you have been - just as confusing, just as...sneaky."

Kagome watched his eyebrows draw together, his features wrinkling suddenly.

"But this feeling I have for you, mate, this _care_ that is coming over me...it is not like what I feel for Rin - not at all. It is not like _anything _I have felt before."

He shook his head slowly, and began to push himself up from the table, but Kagome's voice, its slowness and the fragile hopes outlined in the sound, paused him.

"Are you - are you trying to tell me that you _love_ me, Sesshomaru? I - I can't even - "

"Love. _Love..._"

He frowned suddenly, and his face became almost solemn, quiet and dark and full of serious thoughts.

"Yes. I think - I _think_ that is it. But I do not...I do not _know_. How do I know, Kagome?"

For a moment, Kagome thought she was going to faint. What was her life becoming? Was it really - her life?

_Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru is saying he loves me. No - he is _asking _me if he loves me. How - how do I __answer that? What do I say?_

But he removed the necessity for her to say anything at all; as far as she could see, it did not seem as if the words had had the slightest effect on him at all, no matter how they had torn her assumptions to shreds.

"No - do not try to answer that, Kagome. Finish your tea, and then go up to the library. Scrolls are laid out for you there, but there is...something I have to see to with your kit, before I can join you."

More than dazed, almost completely incoherent, Kagome nodded, and Shippou stood under Sesshomaru's stare and marched smartly down the Hall to stand beside him.

"You want...you want _me, _Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Yes. Come, Shippou."

It was the same sharp-warm mixture of tone he used on Rin, and Shippou noted that with happiness. He followed Sesshomaru swiftly out of the Hall and down a long corridor, and tried to keep his eyes from wandering and his feet from slowing. He wanted to look around, to explore and find out secret things, strange rooms, hidden doorways – he could already tell that in many ways this fortress was a house of locks and keys. But Sesshomaru was hurried in his movements, direct and quick, and Shippou had no desire to upset him and risk being sent away.

He was more than happy with the way things had turned out so far; just by telling Kagome that he cared, that maybe he even _loved_ her, Sesshomaru had outstripped Inuyasha in Shippou's estimation - and it could not be denied that Sesshomaru was far more imposing than the adolescent hanyou had been.

_And Kagome is youkai now; I'm not ever going to lose her!_

When Shippou looked up a second time, it was to find that Sesshomaru had stopped outside a sliding door and he was at risk of running past him. Sesshomaru opened the door and stood to one side.

"This is your place now, Shippou. You should be at home here, and that means you need your own rooms."

Shippou shuffled past Sesshomaru to stand in the open doorway and couldn't believe his eyes. The chamber in front of him was almost square; a low desk spread with brushes and paper stood across one corner. The ink-stone was a soft and shining black, and the practice manual that lay open on the desk showed a page of old poems in the Dragon-letters and in regular characters, too. There was a screen in front of the window and a wardrobe against the wall; there were no chairs but plenty of soft cushions scattered across the floor and piled in corners.

"This – this is my place? Mine?"

Shippou's voice was almost a squeak. Sesshomaru, standing beside him, could not restrain a smile.

"Yes, yours."

Sesshomaru looked around and took a few swift steps into the room, turned in place. The kit was distracting him from awkward thoughts of Kagome, and that was good.

"When I was still a pup, many many years ago, these were my rooms; they have not changed much."

Shippou lifted one eyebrow in a passable Sesshomaru imitation and took a few steps forward, leaned to one side so he could peer through another doorway that was heavily curtained. He saw a bed, carved and polished, and a rug of shaggy fur, the whole pelt of a black wolf glistening before an unlit hearth.

_Mine? _

He still couldn't believe it.

"Come here, Shippou."

Sesshomaru was standing by the wall in the first room, his eyes bright.

"There is still one more room in these chambers, Shippou. For privacy's sake, the door is hidden – tell me, can you see where you would open it from?"

It was a question with a sharp, testing tone but Shippou grinned, sure he could answer the challenge. He let his fingers slide along the overlapping lines of stonework, tracing the joints in the wall; quickly, almost too easily, he found the pattern that was the nearly invisible outline of a door. Part of the stone wall was not stone. With careless precision, he reached out and pressed his hands against the door. A small piece of it gave way and pushed in.

There was a long, low squeal of hinges; the smell of dust rolled up at them from the sudden opening where there had been a wall, and Shippou's grin widened.

"There."

He was quite pleased with himself, and Sesshomaru could not deny that he should be. The long darkness before them was not really that long, but neither of them ventured inside. The air was stale, and Sesshomaru watched Shippou peering down into the depths, ready to pull him back if necessary.

"It should stay open for a while, before you go down there – and someone will have to bring torches, if you want to see it today. There is only one window in that room, and it is covered over. Perhaps late this evening, while your mother is busy."

"But what is it?"

Shippou couldn't restrain his curiosity; nothing that wasn't worth it would be hidden behind such a door.

"It is a training room, a weapons hall…and also a good place to go if you want no one to find you."

Shippou grinned, and Sesshomaru watched him thoughtfully, attempting an educated guess and giving up almost immediately. It was impossible to tell age with kitsune.

"How many years do you have, Shippou?"

Shippou looked away from the darkness, distracted.

"I'm only ten, Sesshomaru-sama - almost eleven, though!"

"And what is your line, kit? Who were your parents?"

Shippou sighed.

"My father was Tamotsu, and my mother was Takara; we lived in the south, until..."

"Until they were killed."

Shippou nodded, but he did not turn to meet Sesshomaru's gaze.

"Yes. My parents raised me, until my mother was slain...and then my father. Then Kagome came, and now she is like my mother."

Sesshomaru was silent for a long minute, holding his thoughts close, examining them carefully.

"I do not know the line of your blood, or the names of your parents, Shippou; if I find anything of interest, I will tell you, but -"

"Please don't go looking, Sesshomaru-sama. I don't want Kagome to think I'm not happy being hers...and I don't think I'd really want to go live with other kitsune, strangers, even if they are technically my kin. If - if - "

Sesshomaru laughed very quietly, and Shippou stared at him with wide eyes, and could not move.

"I would not have told you you could stay here, I would not have made these rooms ready for you, if I did not intend for you to stay. But I am glad you think of Kagome; you honor her as a son should honor his mother, Shippou. Why do you call her by name, and not _okaa-san_?"

Shippou's eyes opened very, very wide.

"You don't - you don't think she would mind?"

"No. I think she would be - very happy."

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama!"

Pleased and smiling, Shippou turned away and wandered across the room; he opened a wardrobe and found it empty, except for a polished steel mirror that reflected his own face back at him.

"I will leave you here, now, Shippou. There are a great many things I must teach your _okaa-san_ - in fact, starting tomorrow, I may ask you to help me. She doesn't know what it means to be youkai; we must show her."

Shippou nodded, accepting his new responsibility with a hand over his heart.

"I can help, Sesshomaru-sama; I'll do whatever you say!"

Sesshomaru nodded shortly, and closed the door behind him on his way out. In the hallway, he looked back at the door and shook his head in amusement; he could hear Shippou running around, his paws light and quick on the floor.

_So, your kit is my ally, Kagome._

He smiled at the thought, and made his way quickly to the library. He paused outside the door, and peeked through the crack; he could see Kagome quite clearly, sitting at his desk, leaned over a scroll so long that it had rolled off onto the floor and unwound itself for several feet. Her tongue was poking out from between her teeth, and she had pushed her hair haphazardly out of the way.

Amused, Sesshomaru stood still for a moment to watch her, and felt the warm feeling that had brought out his earlier words return full force.

* * *

A/N: Chapter 21, phew! Sesshomaru getting a clue, Kagome getting the same clue, and Shippou, picking sides with glee! Well, not really _sides_...but ha! Coming Soon: Some Youkai Who Think Kagome Is A Human, (Ahhhhahaha!) and Subsequently, Kagome Kicking Some Ass (that she doesn't have to regret kicking afterwards - also ha!) Also, Shippou and Rin: a play date (since everyone seems to like them; yay!)

Also, a note on Shippou's parents - I'm well aware that they don't have names in the series, that's why I chose names for them. Constantly having to call people "Shippou's Dad" and "Shippou's Mom" would be annoying. So, his dad has become Tamotsu, which means protector, or defender, and his mom has become Takara, which means treasure. Woo!

And now, Reviews!

Lunarcat12: I've always wanted to see Shippou caught up by Sesshomaru - it's such an intimidating moment of cuteness. And your review reminded me that I have to write Kasuka's approach of Kouga! That would be bad to forget! Much thanks as always!

Raksha65: An update! An update! Ah, aren't the rewards for reviews totally awesome? :D

Kouga's Older Woman: Rin and Shippou soon, I promise! I just had to get Sesshomaru over his "no one can know I care even though everyone knows" hump first - and Shippou needed a room! But you have anticipated the future, because those siblings...HAHA. I'll give you this to think about - Rin and Shippou, alone with Sango who is being harassed by Jaken, for four days. Does she live - do _they_ live? Ha - reality TV, step aside!

Amutolover09: Ah, the presentation! I'm having fun working on that, all sorts of fun things coming together. Kagome, a bunch of youkai, Sesshomaru's remaining family (which, in cast no one has figured that out, is mostly his mother - ha!), and a certain _surprise_ guest all in the same room - fun and games! And Kinawai _totally_ deserves better - thanks for loving my OC! :D Don't worry too much; he's only partially tragic, and Kasuka is SO gonna get hers... Thanks for the excellent review!

Ichirei: Smelling salts! They're those things they hold under your nose when you faint to wake you up, like in old movies and the 1800's and stuff...and 2000 books a year? Not bad! I approve strongly! And don't feel bad; Kinawai and Kasuka shouldn't be boring, if they are I'm messing up! Maybe it's cause nothing...eventful has happened yet to them? (and cause S'homaru is way more fun to play with :D) But I made it to facebook? Wow, Now I'm Really Famous! (:P)

Kinetic Addiction: Awesome review, thank you so much! I get all warm and fuzzy when I'm complimented! (and my story loves you too!) I'll try to keep the updates coming relatively quickly, despite my Schedule of Death...writing this stuff keeps me sane, you see!

Drugged Sympathy/Little Miss Morphine: Much thanks! If I get a chance, I'll take a look and see what you have posted!

Phew! Hopefully I didn't forget anyone; thanks to all readers, but Please Review! I type faster with Review Power! :D

Final Revisions, Complete! Ah, I forgot how much I like this chapter; S'homaru is such a cutie when he's confused about his feelings...R&R!


	22. XXII: Rumors, Bargains and Lies

XXII.

Rumors, Bargains and Lies

* * *

In the last hour of darkness, in the cold, grey minutes before dawn, Sesshomaru sat in silent meditation and watched his sleeping mate. She had retained her human habit of sleeping every night, but he himself had no such habits, no need for slumber.

He took advantage of this time to observe her, to try and come to terms with the pulse of internal awareness that was her, to take deep breaths and struggle with his own soul. He was tempted by her closeness to a complete release of the heart he had forced into a chained slumber. Part of it was just Kagome herself, the openness of her...and part of it was the destruction wrought by her waves of feeling. Sturdy walls, long fortified, were breaking under the pressure.

_Mate..._

Restlessly, Kagome turned in her sleep, pushed the furs aside and turned her face out of his sight. The warm autumn days had come and gone; the air was cooler now, especially at night, the breeze through the window finally losing its harvest scents to the piquant chill of winter.

Sesshomaru found himself breathing slowly, deeply, to Kagome's unconscious rhythm. Sleepy calm moved through his muscles and into his chest, became a weight on his eyelids. He let them drift towards closing; suddenly, he found himself without the willpower for anything else.

After a while that felt like a long, long time, he was watching Kagome through barely open slits of eyes. The air came into his lungs like water, thick and cool – drowsy thoughts meandered through his mind and he knew that they all poured from Kagome's direction, but he was not bothered.

Kagome's fingers were moving, tightening, digging into the furs. He reached out, and took her hands, held them, and the touch opened the inner awareness, let it expand outwards...outwards...and _in_.

He was drifting deeper and deeper into a fugue-state that was like a trance, becoming less and less aware of the outer world, until it was almost beyond sensing.

_Am I dreaming…am I asleep? _

If it was a dream, it was clearer than any he had ever had before, as clear as his waking life, but it was of nothing he had ever seen.

Sesshomaru saw buildings made of metal, not stonework, like glass stairs reaching up into the clouds, built high and magnificent. Temples, shops, houses – and people, human, every one of them human, walking and running through a flat maze of black-floored corridors where there should be plains of grass.

In his thoughts, there was an acknowledgment of the fact that these images, this _dream_, belonged to Kagome - and that she had been telling him a truth that he could barely comprehend.

_The future!_

Without warning, the construction of streets and walls, people and place disappeared, fell away, and there was such loneliness in the darkness, such abandonment….

His own voice was echoing in his head, and the strangeness of it, the accompanying pain, was so great that his eyes blinked open without warning; Sesshomaru found himself staring blankly at the wall beside the bed.

_"...the sleeping Beast in your flesh Awakens, never again to be silent!"_

He remembered the words, remembered saying them, but the feeling that came with them – that was not his own feeling. And the dreamscape of that strange city – that did not belong to him either.

_How can she feel joy and terror as one thing – how does she feel so much? _

Sesshomaru reflected on the nature of the dream. It was a sharing, a vision that did not belong to his own thoughts. He knew what had happened, even if why, if _how_ were beyond him, but Kagome – what would she think?

_She does not know the meaning of mate; a season, almost more, and she still thinks it is desire, the pleasing things. When I tell her, when she knows, will she understand? Everything is changed, everything – but not the look in her eyes. What does that mean?_

He frowned. It was in his nature to worry, though he hid it well. But a streak of brighter dimness had cleared the edge of the windowsill and he stood, stretched and turned to look out at the dawn as it drifted up into the sky. With an effort of will, he tried to clear his thoughts, tried to focus on the coming day. It had been reluctantly that he had sent messages of invitation to his Kin, and those few who owed him bond that were trustworthy...by nightfall, they would all be here, seven youkai lords - and...

_Mother._

He growled very low. It had been some time since he had been forced to be in his mother's presence; for any lesser reason than the presentation of his mate, he would not have bothered to summon her. In this instance, he had no choice, but he found himself hoping that perhaps she would believe the rumor of Kagome's humanity.

_She would probably stay away out of pique. _

His eyes slid away from Kagome for a moment, focused out the window, and then returned.

He had told Kagome that his kin would be coming for her, but he knew that like everything else, she did not know what that really meant.

_Now the trouble is growing, just as I thought, and still – I would change nothing. I still want her, and…more than want. _

Kagome turned again, and Sesshomaru reached out for her pale arm, the curve of her shoulder, one pink, crinkled nipple. He smiled, watching the flush rise under her skin, her mouth falling half-open.

He bent close and let his tongue touch the double-crescent mark of his teeth, no more than a tease. The hot scent was rising in her skin, deeper than usual, more heady, and he breathed deeply. He had held his own desires tightly, afraid that she would be afraid, that she would close her eyes to him and turn away if he gave her too much at once– but she was his mate.

_I told her…the truth. She wanted me – that has not changed. And she is warm..._

Nothing had changed, but his own sense of his own feelings was disturbing and the closeness – the closeness, too, unsettled him. What did it mean, that he could dream her dreams but that the strangeness of such things was nothing next to his want of her?

_To keep her as my mate, I would give...much. Not everything, but much. And I would give more to see the same feeling_ I _have in _her_; I would know then what it is. _

For now, though...

Gently, he woke her with his hands, his mouth. Kagome blinked herself awake, and he stayed still, watching, waiting, until she reached for him, pleaded with him in a tiny whisper.

"Don't pull away, don't stop – you can't, you can't…."

* * *

It had grown cold in the dimness after sunset, and the breath of winter was thick in the evening air before they all had come – five Inu, lords under Sesshomaru who had owed their first allegiance to his father; Togusa, Bear-lord, watcher of the Wild Border where human and youkai territories overlapped - and the kitsune, Yozei, the son of the Nine Tails, who would not come himself out of fear or arrogance.

His mother had not deigned to respond to his invitation, and he was relieved and angered at the same time - her presumption, always!

_She is the most irritating person I know of, but her absence will raise questions if it is noticed. I may have to go to her myself, and make sure she comes to the presentation. _

Sesshomaru had counted the possible objections of those he had summoned a thousand times since the moment he had made his decision. He was beginning to believe that the strange-moving rumor would work for him, more than against him. Shock could be a powerful ally, a revealer of many truths that might otherwise escape unnoticed...and all that was needed to induce that shock was merely a glance at his mate.

It seemed simple enough, but he found himself growling, fighting an instinct with which he had little experience.

_They are few, but still enough to be dangerous. Do I know them? Do I know their honor, their commitments, well enough to risk her?_

He was drawing heavily on his reputation, on his own vaunted strength. Since they had come back from the human village he had been building his power, storing it, saving it for these moments.

_They_ were waiting now in the Silent Pavilion, and _he_ was waiting for Kagome, using this time to draw out their suspicions into open speech among them. He could hear chatter through the windows, quiet voices.

Kagome was watching him from around the corner of the corridor. She could just see into the room where he was standing. Her gaze tracked the sweeping movements of his eyes, the long steps of his pacing, and she took a deep breath and walked - almost marched - into his presence.

Shyly, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him still. She was becoming bold with him, not afraid – not that she had never been afraid, but even her caution was slipping away from her now.

He covered her hands with his own, holding her still, and looked down at her with surprise and pleasure. She had been dressed in his own colors, white and red and yellow obi; the veils he had requested shared the design of the obi, but they were hanging loose at the side of her face now, the silver fastenings undone.

"I've never seen you act like this before, Sesshomaru. Is there something wrong with the people who came earlier? I can hear them talking..."

He eyed her for a moment in silence and then glanced back towards the open window.

"They have come for you, Kagome; I told you that they would. They have come to see you, and probably to judge you. Someone has been spreading rumors of you, not only of your presence but of your - "

He paused.

"Of your previous nature."

She looked up at him quizzically for a moment, and then blanched.

_Oh -_

"You mean they think I'm human."

He nodded.

"Yes. Foolish - but it disturbs me because I do not know how that information might have moved. Only Kinawai knew you were here, and Kinawai is the only person I have ever trusted to keep my secrets - as my father trusted him. I cannot believe..."

He shook his head; Kagome saw an opening for a question that had been plaguing her since the beginning.

"Kinawai was your father's friend, then? Did you know him when you were small? I couldn't figure out how someone would get close to you, come to know you."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened a little, and he leaned down until he was close enough to feel her breath on his lips.

"That is something you think you need to know, mate? But you are already close to me, closer than anyone else."

A little laugh slipped out of her, caressed his ears.

"That...maybe thatis true, but I do not…I do not _know_ you, Sesshomaru…_mate_."

That last word came out so softly even he had trouble hearing it, but suddenly he was even closer to her, speaking against her throat.

"Yes, you know me. You do."

It was barely a whisper, but she felt his smile against her collarbone, and then his teeth, deep, not pain, the complete opposite of pain. She tilted her head back, back, exposing more of her throat, responding to his growl, the demand for submission. When she was limp in his hands, her eyes closed, when he could feel her as a warm essence in the flesh of his thoughts, he pulled away, and held her until she was steady on her feet.

"You must come with me now, and say nothing until it is time."

He reached out for her veils, and lifted them over her face, fastened them carefully, securely.

"When will I know the time, Sesshomaru?"

"You will know – and then we will have _trouble_. You will see."

There was only grim amusement on his face now; his emphasis disturbed her, reminded her of the Sesshomaru she had first come to know. But she reprimanded herself for her thoughts.

Just because she knew more about him, her first knowledge had not become suddenly invalid. He was _Sesshomaru-sama_ still; she had seen his bloody intentions revealed often enough that they should no longer surprise her. Even against Kinawai, who he said was his friend; who he said had been his father's friend.

_And these were his kin, he said, so maybe he does not...maybe he won't do anything bad to them._

It was a thought with a vain hope behind it, and she knew it; after all, she had seen how he was with his own brother. Still...

_These are youkai, full-blooded. Maybe he feels differently about them._

"Come with me, Kagome; quickly now, and as _quietly_ as you can."

His words were half-challenge, issued with a twitch of a smile, but she took their spirit to heart.

Sesshomaru led the way, and she followed in his footsteps as precisely as she could manage, focusing on the tiny noises of her feet, trying to erase them completely. It was harder than she thought, but before they had crossed half of the courtyard towards the pavilion, she thought she was managing to do a pretty good job.

_Take that, oh Master-Of-All-That-Is-Youkai!_

While she had been studying his scrolls, he had made fun of her in his subtle, sarcastic way, telling her how much like a pup she was, in need of so much training. She had shut him up by being able to read his Dragon-characters with very little help; they were an ancient script of cursive Chinese, more convoluted than any she had ever seen.

Being raised by her mother and grandfather in the most traditional manner possible for nine years of her life had finally come in handy, and besides that she had a funny feeling that she'd seen characters like these before, anyway.

She was tempted to shake her head to clear it.

_Focus, Kagome! Concentrate on the present!_

She took a deep breath, and then another.

_But those are youkai lords waiting down there, lords who have come to judge me...and then probably kill me if I don't live up to their expectations - _

Suddenly she was almost hyperventilating; she caught her breathing and reached out almost instinctively for Sesshomaru's hand.

Sesshomaru looked down at her in surprise and saw that her pupils were wide and dilated. The fingers gripping his hand were shaking.

"Kagome -"

His voice was lower than a whisper, a bare movement of lips.

Kagome shook her head and took a deep breath, squeezed his hand. She answered him in the same low tone.

"I'm alright now. Just - nerves."

She flashed him a smile that he could not see through the veils, but the tenseness around her eyes was relaxing, the wide, solid band of golden color in her eyes restored.

Quickly now, Kagome found herself whisked along beside Sesshomaru until they had passed around the east side of the fortress - and then she let out a gasp of amazement.

"There, Kagome."

She could only stare.

The Silent Pavilion had been built out over the water of an artificial lake, all dark wood but set off by raw crystal in giant force-fitted chunks, like window glass. The rising moon reflected light down through the crystal that fractured and doubled and danced in strange patterns on both the wood and water.

Sesshomaru enjoyed her reaction, but he did not allow her time to express her astonished pleasure.

"Do you see them?"

She shook her head; the reflections in the crystal were confusing, distracting - but she could hear them.

"I hear voices; the words, they -"

"Yes, they are talking about you. But be silent now, and follow closely behind me."

He saw her nervousness begin to reassert itself, and squeezed her fingers.

"Remember, Kagome - you are mine."

She was surprised at how much better his soft words made her feel.

On light feet, Sesshomaru brought down the walkway to the pavilion; his steps were blindingly fast, and her own feet didn't even touch the ground. There was a collective gasp from the lords who were muttering among themselves as he appeared; they stood suddenly straight-backed and almost shame-faced, like children found spreading rumors on the playground.

The image almost made Kagome laugh out loud, and went a long way towards dissipating her tension, but she was grateful for the concealing veil.

Sesshomaru had become _Sesshomaru-sama_, the person she had first known, the one for whom killing was as instinctive, as easy as breathing; she could see in his face.

"So, you are the honorable ones? Kinawai told me I should seek allies among my own, and we spent time determining the names of those we thought trustworthy. Tell me, how wisely did we choose?"

Without further preamble than his appearance, Sesshomaru moved among them, immediately dominant. A swell of power moved with him, a palpable aura, even though he walked slowly and offered no obvious menace.

Kagome stepped silently behind him, her eyes and ears open, examining the pavilion and the waiting lords, the different reactions to Sesshomaru's glance. She did not see that they were all watching her, too - unsure as to her place, as to who she might be – they had heard only rumors, and the rumors were dangerous, threatening and impossible. They were stranded on 'what if'.

Sesshomaru searched faces, looking for betrayals, for secret decisions, for fear or trust or intelligence. Kagome, too, was examining these new potential _allies _- she had more than a little practice in judging youkai intentions, even if those intentions were deadly more often than not.

In only one face did she see anything like trustworthiness, or resolution, and her eyes flickered quickly in Sesshomaru's direction.

She could _feel_ that he, too, had noticed, but he remained disdainful, distrustful to all outward appearances; he was waiting for one of _them_ to make the first move. It was the one with the trustworthy face who stepped forward first, tall and silver haired, obviously Inu - but his eyes held no gold, only the green darkness of the deep ocean.

"You are Akira."

Sesshomaru spoke as few words as possible.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-dono."

Kagome's eyes widened a little.

_Sesshomaru-dono? What...what kind of lord _is _he, if these other lords address him like that?_

Sesshomaru inclined his head slightly, cast an appraising gaze over this _Akira_.

"You are the son of my father's younger brother; you are welcome here. Do you know why I summoned you?"

"Yes, lord."

There was shifting amongst the other lords now. They had expected a fight, accusations and death. Sesshomaru's courtesy left them out of their reckoning. Encouraged by Akira, another spoke out.

"I am also kin, Sesshomaru-dono. I am Katsu, of the west forest. I came with authority to pledge my House; the Twin Fangs are with you, lord, if you need us – but why do you need us? Was there reason to call us before the presentation?"

From the corner behind the others, the Bear, Togusa, spoke, enforcing Katsu's questions.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-dono, I think that is a good question. What is so important that it means you must bring us all here before the necessary time?"

And he smiled, revealing his nature at the same time, its warmth and its viciousness.

"Although I should not complain; your wine is good."

There was silence after that, all of them watching Sesshomaru expectantly. He wasted no time; it was not in him to do so.

"You know the rumor that is working its way through every level of every house, every tribe. I am confused as it to its origin, but I find it...annoying."

He smiled, and a collective shudder moved through them.

"Kagome."

He beckoned, and she stepped forward at his gesture, looked around silently. Seven lords stared back at her, dissecting her, more confused by her presence now than they had been when they first saw her.

"Is she – she is Inu, lord? Of what House?"

The words were startled out of Katsu's mouth.

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome and smiled suddenly for his own reasons, baffling those who watched him. He had been awaiting this question, and worrying about it; but since she had told him of her origins he had been quietly awaiting the consternation that was sure to follow her words. She could tell the truth, and it would be as incomprehensible to them as the most complicated falsehood.

"Well, Kagome? How would you introduce yourself?"

Her own smile was faint as she caught on to how this game was being played. He had told her some of what to expect, but the reality was less threatening than she had thought it would be.

"Introduce myself?"

Her eyes darted at him, then turned back to the expectant faces.

"I am Kagome, daughter of Mai. I am a miko, protector of the shikon no tama...and I am Sesshomaru's mate."

Broad of shoulder, his eyes green and alight with cunning, golden-haired Yozei stepped forward, words startled out of him.

"You? You are his mate? But -"

Kagome felt Sesshomaru's growl vibrate against her back.

"But? What did you expect? Did you really believe that I would take a human for my mate? I, Sesshomaru?"

For a moment he seemed to grow and the pavilion darkened into shadows as if on cue. There were clouds passing thickly overhead, luminous grey through the crystal windows, and Akira reached out, gripped Yozei's shoulder warningly. Sesshomaru's eyes flickered back and forth among the assembly, but none of them dared to meet his gaze for more than a moment.

"She is Kagome, and she is my mate. If you think she needs a House to give her worth then you are foolish - but my mate claims lineage from the House of Fire."

The others, though, standing around Yozei, were frozen in place. They had been standing so since Kagome had begun speaking, and Sesshomaru's words were not enough to unfreeze them. It was Akira who finally broke the silence, reaching forward almost reverently with a hand that he retracted as soon as Sesshomaru's gaze touched on it.

"I sensed a strong power, but I did not imagine...you possess the shikon no tama? You - you are _miko_?"

He stepped back, and knelt, bowing low.

"My lady; Kagome-dono."

The kitsune, Yozei, no longer restrained by Akira's hands, took another step forward and braced himself against the growl that erupted from Sesshomaru.

"You're an idiot, Akira!"

He turned his words toward Kagome, ignoring his danger.

"If you are miko, if you come of the House of Fire, that means you must be Dragon - but no Dragon would ever mate into the House of Blades except for base purposes. Once I swore loyalty to the Inu no Taisho; it was dragons who killed him, dragons who opened the passage for his death. Perhaps you mean to do the same!"

Against all caution and common sense, he took another step forward.

"Sesshomaru, this female - you must kill her; she must not stay here! She does not belong in your House!"

Sesshomaru's hands snatched Kagome back to his side, away from the possibility of confrontation, away from the Kitsune's snarling face. His voice emerged empty, emotionless, terrifying for that reason.

"I will tell you this once, and never again. To threaten her, to speak of her in such a way, is to threaten _me_. Is this how you have chosen to end your life?"

Cold, taut, hungry, a thrill moved through Kagome's body, hearing him speak that way, hearing possession in his voice, the casual offering of death as though it were a glass of wine.

_For me! He really does care. But anyway, what is it that this Yozei has a problem with? He reminds me of those stupid punk-kids in school, always playing at being yakuza. It's like...it's like he's scared of me!_

Every time her eyes focused on him, she saw him flinching away. Suddenly, like an explosion in her brain, she recognized the origin of his fear.

_It isn't because I'm youkai - it's because I'm _miko_! He's afraid of my power, afraid of my ability to purify! _

_S_ure of her own assessment, she took a few quick steps forward, moving between Sesshomaru and Yozei, felt Sesshomaru's hand on her wrist and tasted bitterness which was a scent she knew for certain without being told. It confirmed everything she had been thinking.

_Fear! Okay, Kagome, time to put this to work!_

"Are you really a lord of youkai - Yozei, that is your name, right?"

Dumbly, he nodded; there was a hint of snarl, like an afterthought, attempting to accumulate on his face, but she drove that away almost immediately.

"I can smell your fear, Yozei. I can _taste_ it - and you are a lord?"

Sesshomaru let go of her, could not believe his ears. His quiet Kagome, so soft-spoken and gentle – could she have such a venomous tongue?

"I am the son of the Nine Tails, Kyubi-no-Kitsune; I am not afraid!"

"You are not afraid? You are the son of the Nine Tails?"

Her voice was soft, on the edge of mocking, and her hands were near his throat now. Half-praying, she reached inwards for power and found it easier than she had thought, to focus the light at the tips of her claws. It was like pulling out power for an arrow, without the shock of release.

The scent of fear spiked another notch, and now it was coming from all those around her, only Sesshomaru standing aside, watching her, openly amused.

"You are nothing but a kit like my Shippou, Yozei. What are you doing, trying to play rough?"

Like she did to Shippou when he was very naughty, she tapped him on the nose, hard, and fixed him with a stern expression.

"Bad!"

With an affectation of disdain, her glittering fingertips a hairsbreadth from his pulse, Kagome turned away, and he reached out, claws deadly, as she had known he would. She sensed Sesshomaru's movement behind her but turned before he had a chance to help.

Her claws met the claws of Yozei, and the sparkle of light became something like purple fire. It moved along her fingers to his fingers, and then up to encompass his arm. Smoke curled in pale wisps from his flesh; she spoke with her eyes turned away, forcing herself to seem as casual, as relaxed at the idea of death as she had seen Sesshomaru be.

"I told you not to play rough, _kit_."

She paused for a long moment, and then flexed her fingers.

"Will I have to kill you?"

"Kagome-dono! Let me go, I meant…I meant nothing, nothing!"

She dropped his fingers. The skin was burned away from his hand and his wrist, the red muscle bloody and blistered in its exposure, but the wide fear in his face overrode the pain – he was looking at her with a terrible gratitude.

She had left him his life.

Easily, with a flick of her fingers and a wince of pain that she kept to herself, Kagome opened a shallow cut in her wrist and held the flow of blood out over his half-purified flesh.

"If you meant nothing, then I'm sorry."

As she had seen twice now, threads of light reached out of her blood and into the swollen burn. For a long moment, there was light, and silence, the other six lords watching and Sesshomaru standing nearby, his eyes narrowed in confusion and surprise. Her show of strength was appropriate and well aimed – he had not thought she would understand so quickly that violence might be required of her, nor perform so well – but to heal him after? What purpose did that serve?

Sesshomaru shook his head slowly, and let out an inaudible sigh.

_I should have remembered. She fought with Inuyasha, even against me, even when she really had no hope...but more than she knows, I remember that arrow. She has _always _been capable of violence. She must have learned how to deal with our kind, or she would have died long ago. And even so, she is still miko, and she is still...Kagome._

The light faded as the wound was healed, and Kagome took a deep breath and dropped his arm. As she dropped it she turned away again, and Yozei did not move.

Sesshomaru took a deep breath and stirred from his silence, reaching out again to bring Kagome back beside him, secure in her closeness.

"I will put aside all doubt now, for those of you who may still harbor...difficulties. My mate was Dragon, and according to the power of her kind, she is Inu now, succumbing to my strength, my power as her mate. If some among you do not remember the way of that change, it is the doing of your own poor Records, and forgetfulness. Do not hold me responsible."

Slowly, Akira lifted himself from his bowed position and finally met Sesshomaru's eyes.

"Now I see, lord, why you have called us. Even among those who should offer you undivided loyalty, there is strife over this mating. Did the lord Kinawai counsel you further – beyond bringing us together first to see the one you mean to present?"

Sesshomaru almost laughed out loud, hearing words that worked with his own thoughts so perfectly.

"The lord Kinawai counsels me that since I have Chased her to make her my mate, I should follow tradition, and bind her to my House according to the old Way and the conclusion of the rite. I agreed with this, so on the night of no moon she will be marked by the burning Ink; she will show she is mine before the lords of Council."

"And we were called to prevent Challenge – is that what you want?"

Sesshomaru nodded.

"That is the way of it. Those that I can trust, you who are my kin, or who were my father's trusted counselors – you are only a few, to spread influence among many. The full Council will ask the questions _he _asked, and with even less finesse."

His eyes darted towards Yozei, and away. A low chuckle moved towards him, but he could not identify who the sound belonged to.

"What matters is that she belongs to my House now; that she belongs to me. I want no other female, and that, too, should be made known. Some of those in the Council…some of them have offered daughters to me, and sisters, but none of them is her equal. After her, if ever there was after her, that still would be true."

Sesshomaru's gaze flickered over a few of the Inu who had not spoken, but he was surprised by a question from Togusa; the bear sounded impatient.

"What about the shikon no tama? What does your mate intend with such a prize, Sesshomaru-dono?"

Kagome saved Sesshomaru from words that might have brought more blood.

"The jewel remains in my hands alone. It is the task of a miko to guard it, until it can be purified."

She spoke lightly, but with warning; she had been waiting ever since she had come amongst youkai for someone to make a grab for the jewel.

It seemed, however, that a barrier had been broken; now that Togusa had spoken, the others who had stayed silent were less reluctant to offer their opinions.

As they talked, they turned away, no longer looking at Kagome - as if her part was now played, as if she no longer required notice.

_They are still afraid. Being miko - I'm glad I didn't lose my power, glad, glad, glad. I need the edge!_

She tried to listen for a while, wanting to catch more hints about her presentation, but most of the talk was about other lords, and shifts of power in Council. She did not know the youkai they were talking about, and Sesshomaru hadn't told her very much about the youkai Council yet. She wandered around the edge of the pavilion, and her attention drifted in and out of focus until she caught a name she recognized.

"Kouga will not be pleased to travel here for the Rite. He is young, and impetuous, and he takes his anger seriously. There is no hope in going to him for support, and that means no lord in the south will offer any, either. The best you can hope for is that the Wolf will not protest simply to make trouble. Surely, whatever female you take for a mate does not concern him!"

She heard Sesshomaru answer.

"The messages have already been sent, and answered; the Wolf has not been trouble so far, and if Kouga chooses not to come after all, I will not bother being insulted."

Kagome felt something like a chill, and shivered. She knew Kouga; he was everything they said, but he had promised he would be her friend – _your good friend_, he had said.

* * *

A/N: Another chapter, joy of joys! Everyone is probably disappointed that Shippou and Rin are...well, not here, but I really didn't want to have another chapter with infinite words, so I have set them aside for the beginning of the next chapter! They're already written, so you can look forward to that...oh, and I think Sango and Miroku might make it into the next chapter too! They're sort of fighting with Sesshomaru's mother for space right now - and Kasuka might get in a few punches, too, you never know. Heh. And now...reviews! Let's see...

Raksha65: Much thanks as always!

Mariah's TopFan455: Of course! It would be no fun if they had no pups; after all, who wouldn't want tiny Sesshomaru's?

lunarcat12: Yes! I have fun making him emotionally confused (retarded is probably the more proper word, but we can be politically correct, right?) I feel like Ginta and Hakkaku get no credit for being loyal to Kouga, who is mostly an ass, and also for just generally being amusing! You're right about one thing - it could most definitely blow up in their faces! As far as the presentation goes, though...that's my little secret. Hehe. Or maybe not so little. I have to say, though...there's an ultra-intense version and a _light_ version that have been going back in forth in my head. Youkai ceremonies...heh.

Amutolover09: He would, he would! Thankfully, his decapitation is limited to fictional characters, so I think you're safe :D. Teaching Sesshomaru love is fun, though, I gotta say! And it is, of course, way premature, but Kinawai does get a happy ending! Not until the sequel, though...he's a little tragic for a while.

Kouga's Older Woman: He'll be the awesomest dad! And while I think you're right about Jaken dying, I had this picture in my head of him frantically swinging around the Staff of Heads, lighting the fortress on fire, and then Sesshomaru finding everything all toasty...oh ha!

Ichirei: Sugar high, wow! Don't mind though, I have...not much life? Just this endless rotation of classes and work, and then pretending that the world doesn't exist with anime (or manga...endless manga). So I totally understand! I used to write in school, you know, but I was never afraid of anyone reading it cause I write in cursive and its a scribbly mess that even I can't read sometimes. But still, fluff is good! (Like Sesshomaru...) :D

Little Miss Morphine: Much thanks once again! Sorry the play date didn't make it, but the chapter can only be so long before it starts to just wander off...next chapter, promise!

Chaotic Reverie: It's like you're a post-posting beta! Ha! I don't mind; it helps actually, because after a while of reading something that I wrote myself my eyes start to jump forward because I know what's coming. I have to let it sit for a day or so before I can go back through it word by word. I couldn't find an extra too, though, although I fixed the other bit. I don't even know how I do that, just skip whole words...my brain going faster than my fingers, I suppose! Yay Sesshomaru trying to figure out love - I can just see him with this ultra-serious expression - so funny!

Anime Lady PIMP: He is, he is! And confused. :D He'll figure it out eventually, though!

saymoney22: I think he just might! We never found out much about Shippou, and that always annoyed me - he's awfully young to be powerful enough to sustain a partially-human form constantly, and his dead dad still manages to protect him...interesting stuff to work with :D. I think you're right about the wedding, though - snow might be annoying. Guess that means it'll have to be soon! As for Kagome - I can only say that yes, she will see her family again, but not until the sequel - and even then...eeh, but I can't give away too much. Suffice to say that ,yes, she will see them again - they aren't sundered forever!

Phew! Final Revisions Done! I'm almost caught up with myself, how pleasing! :D R&R, pleasy please!


	23. XXIII: Hunter, Prey

XXIII

Hunter, Prey

* * *

Quietly, on tiptoe, Rin was sneaking down the hallway that led past her bedroom and toward Shippou's, clinging to the wall and holding her breath. Opposite her, moving from the other end of the hallway, Shippou was doing the same, his footsteps even more silent, his eyes wide as he tried to hold his breath and tiptoe at the same time.

They had found a mouse, and they were playing Hunt.

It was a tiny thing, no more than three inches long, and half of that size was its tail. For twenty minutes, stalking with every motion, they had followed it as it made its way from the empty East Wing, where they had been exploring dusty corners, to this place. They had almost lost it twice, and now Rin looked up and met Shippou's eyes. They were five feet away...four...three. The mouse scuttled forwards toward Shippou, and he sucked in his breath, stood totally still.

The mouse raised tiny paws to its whiskers, and then dropped down again on all four paws to sniff at the place where the floor met the wall, seeking invisible crumbs.

The intrepid hunters looked at each other, nodded - and the next moment, they pounced!

The mouse scuttled frantically away from Rin, whose footsteps were louder, and then turned in terror at the scent of Shippou and the patter of his paws closing in. Trapped from forward and behind, the mouse ran in the only available direction - across the hall, towards the other wall.

Rin skidded and fell on her backside with an _oh!_ of surprise, but Shippou darted sideways to avoid her, and leapt straight up at the last moment. Paws splayed, grinning with victory, he came down on the mouse and held up the tiny, struggling creature in both hands.

"I got him! Look, Rin, I got him!"

More pleased now than winded, Rin stood, rubbing her bottom, and then clapped her hands.

"Yes! Shippou is a much better hunter than Rin!"

She paused; her head tilted to one side and then she peered at him contemplatively.

"Are you going to eat him?"

He was so startled by her calm and curious question that Shippou almost let go of his captured 'prey'.

"Wha - what? No, I'm not going to eat a mouse!"

He made a face.

"Oh."

Thoughtfully, Rin peered at him for a moment, and then at the mouse.

"Sesshomaru-sama would not eat a mouse either, but then, Sesshomaru-sama is very big. Shippou is small, so I wondered if you ate smaller things!"

She was still smiling quite congenially, and Shippou was more than confused.

"You mean you don't care that...that youkai eat things that are - um...not...not cooked?"

He winced a little. He had learned early on in his association with humans, and human children especially, that there were certain things it was best not to let them know.

"Nope! Sesshomaru-sama thinks it is strange that humans cook their food, but Jaken always made fire for Ri - for _me_, so I could cook it. Sesshomaru-sama does not eat food like humans, though..."

Memory made her thoughtful, but she shook it off quickly.

"Sesshomaru-sama hunts, and I can have some to eat, and then Sesshomaru-sama has his."

Her calm recitation was making Shippou twitchy.

"I think Sesshomaru-sama likes the blood - is that true, Shippou? Do you like the blood? Did I guess right?"

Shippou was completely astounded, and suddenly extraordinarily happy. He had not expected her to be so understanding, but it was obvious now why this was so. Sesshomaru was the only one she had, her role model and her teacher.

The thought was almost frightening. Her question, though - that was a different story. He could answer that!

_At least, I think I can. Umm..._

"It's...it might be hard for you to understand, Rin. Youkai need raw meat and fresh blood to live. My otou-san told me that, when I was _this _tiny."

He made an exaggerated gesture with his hand, close to the floor.

"But I don't know why. I eat cooked food too, though. I like it! And o-o-okaa-san used to bring these things, these treats from _her time -_"

"You said _o-o-okaa-san_! You are talking about Kagome-sama, but yesterday, you said Kagome! Why does Shippou say okaa-san _now, _and not then?"

There was something almost accusing in her tone, and Shippou crossed his arms with an attitude of superiority, turning aside slightly.

"Sesshomaru-sama said I could when I asked."

Rin's eyes widened, and all the protest went out of her.

"Sesshomaru-sama said so? Shippou...do you think that Kagome-sama will be _my_ okaa-san too?"

Shippou pretended to deliberate for a moment, but he really didn't need to decide. He was too happy to have a sister, too happy to be here, in this place, to be able to deny Rin any share in that happiness.

"Well, I guess so. She likes you, and Sesshomaru-sama said you were my sister - so if she is my okaa-san, then she must be yours, too, right?"

She smiled a glorious smile.

"Yes!"

"But...uh...I haven't...I haven't said it to Kagome yet, so maybe..."

"We should say it together! We can surprise her with something good!"

She paused there, though, because she had not yet been around Kagome long enough to know certain things.

"What does okaa-san like, Shippou?"

Shippou moved as if to scratch his head, and then realized he was still holding the little mouse. It had stopped shivering and was sitting quietly in his hands; apparently it had resigned itself to death.

"Oh! Wait, what should we with do with him, Rin?"

The girl cradled her head in her chin thoughtfully for a moment, and then smiled and jumped up excitedly.

"Let's bring him outside and let him go. Sesshomaru-sama doesn't like animals inside unless they're dead!"

Shippou stared at her for a moment, and then grinned.

_What a weird girl!_

"Okay!

Outside, once their small prey was released, Shippou and Rin sat together in the dim autumn sunlight and discussed their mutual plan in earnest. Shippou knew everything about Kagome that could possibly weaken her to their cause, and Rin was in possession of an earnest, feminine cuteness that was sure to work wonders.

"Should we give her flowers, Shippou? I like flowers..."

Shippou was contemplating this newest idea very seriously.

"Okaa-san likes flowers, but sometimes they make her sneeze. She said she was _allergic_."

Rin looked vaguely concerned.

"What does that mean?"

Shippou shrugged.

"Dunno, but maybe we shouldn't give her any, just in case."

Rin let out a defeated sigh, and Shippou kicked his feet, shoved his hands in his pockets. He had a few leaves, a rock he had found that was shiny with exposed crystals, and a nub of crayon...

"I know! Let's draw her a picture of us and her, since she's our okaa-san now. All of us, like a family."

Rin nodded gleefully.

"But Sesshomaru-sama too!"

Shippou sighed - but then again, why not? After all, it had been Sesshomaru who had given him the courage to say the words in the first place, right? He nodded firmly.

"Sesshomaru-sama too! Let's find some paper, Rin!"

She was suddenly solemn.

"I will have to ask Sesshomaru-sama."

Shippou blinked.

"You don't have any paper of your own?"

Rin shook her head; she looked calmly confused.

"Why should I have paper, Shippou?"

"Because...because..."

He was thinking of the room Sesshomaru had given him, the desk and the practice manuals, the fine sheets of thick paper laid out beside an elegant set of brushes.

"Rin, how can you write if you don't have any paper?"

She only shrugged.

"I don't know how to write."

"What!"

She seemed surprised at his reaction.

"Sesshomaru-sama said that I was human, so I probably didn't need to know. Also that there was no youkai who would take a human for a student..."

Shippou heard a hint of sadness in her tone that he thought was surprising; he had not expected that she could be less than pleased with any decision her _Sesshomaru-sama_ made for her.

"Well, if okaa-san finds out about that, she'll get really mad!"

He was giggling a little to himself, just thinking of it; he had seen Kagome's fits directed towards Inuyasha, but it was sure to be something new and hilarious if she were to direct that fury at Sesshomaru instead. Rin, though, seemed to shiver and close in on herself.

"Mad? Rin does not want okaa-san to get mad, Shippou -"

"No, no, not at you, silly! At Sesshomaru-sama! Because he did not teach you how to read! Okaa-san always says that a good education is the most important thing -"

"Really?"

Rin was smiling again and Shippou was almost bewildered. How could she be so happy one minute, and then so unhappy, almost frightened - and then happy again!

"Really! Say... Rin, _I_ have some paper! It's in my room - "

"Then let's go! Can we draw in your room, Shippou?"

He nodded.

"Yep! Come on!"

* * *

When they were settled, a roll of paper between them on a flat space of floor, Shippou concentrated on drawing himself and Kagome, and Rin on Sesshomaru and her own little figure. For a while, they worked in silence, intent on the outlines and on choosing colors, and then Shippou looked up abruptly. There was a question that had been bothering him for quite some time now, but there was no way he could ask Sesshomaru. Rin, though...

"Rin?"

She looked up at him right away, smiling her perennial smile.

"Yes, Shippou?"

"Can you tell me why you're with Sesshomaru-sama? I mean...how did you get to be here, with him? We...that is, Inuyasha always said Sesshomaru-sama hated humans!"

Rin blinked at him; he could see that she was somewhat confused.

"Well...Sesshomaru-sama does not _like_ humans, but I don't like other humans either. Except Kagome-sama, but she wasn't really human. Rin is special!"

She was, as always, quite pleased with her place at Sesshomaru's side; she had never really bothered to consider why he let her stay with him, why he cared for her.

"How did Shippou get to be with okaa-san?"

Shippou picked up a dark green crayon and used it to wave away her question.

"Uh-uh, I asked first!"

Rin took a deep breath, eying the array of colors in front of her; she chose a bright yellow crayon and began to color the band of Sesshomaru's obi in their drawing.

"It is many seasons now, and there are lots of things I don't remember. I remember, though, that I was running, running from wolves...Rin does not like wolves."

She shuddered, and the little-girl brightness of her face dimmed a little, consumed by memory. Shippou felt suddenly _bad_ for asking her a question which brought up such a horrible remembrance, but the moment of darkness passed swiftly.

"I was running, running through the trees, up a mountain; I was trying to find Sesshomaru-sama, and then...I died."

Her eyes became wide and solemn, her face so still and her eyes so clear that he could not doubt her.

"I don't remember anything of that time, of being – dead. I think, or sometimes I have a feeling, like it was dark, dark like at night, but with no moon."

She continued serenely, as though she were speaking of nothing more interesting than the weather.

"And then I was awake, and it hurt, here, and here - "

She touched her throat, just beneath her pulse, and covered her left side with her other hand.

"- And I was bloody all over, and Sesshomaru-sama was there, only he was blue, blue like light, and he put away the sword that saved me, and asked me my name. After that Rin was alive again, and with Sesshomaru-sama."

She blinked, as though by the action she pushed away the memories, and gave Shippou a proud smile over the paper, exchanged her yellow crayon for a bright blue one.

"I belong to Sesshomaru-sama now; he said so!"

But Shippou was staring at her with wide eyes.

"You died, and you are alive again – he brought you back? How can he have the power to – "

Rin shook her head, scolded him with a fierce shake of her crayon.

"No, no, Shippou did not listen! Sesshomaru-sama is the strongest, but Sesshomaru-sama saved Rin with his sword, not all by himself!"

Shippou shrugged.

"Well, still! You're really lucky, Rin."

Rin beamed, and pulled away a little to look at her work.

"Yes! I got to stay with Sesshomaru-sama!"

Shippou pressed a hand to his forehead.

_That wasn't exactly what I meant..._

"What do you think, Shippou?"

She was pointing at the picture now; Shippou was quite impressed by her rendition of Sesshomaru.

"Wow! Rin, you're really good!"

"Can I help with the grass now?"

Shippou passed her a green crayon.

"Sure. Should we make it daytime, or nighttime?"

Rin put a finger to her chin, paused thoughtfully.

"Night! Sesshomaru-sama likes the moon; I do too!"

Shippou nodded decisively.

"Right, night then!"

Neither child noticed the golden eye that was peering in at them through the crack in Shippou's open door; Sesshomaru was watching them, and he was more than pleased. He had known for some time that Rin needed a companion, but there had been no possibility of him finding another human, and he could not bring youkai into the fortress to be with her. This was better than if he had planned it - and perhaps Kagome would lose the melancholy that had been following her around when she heard them call her _okaa-san_.

* * *

In the village, there was a minor shouting match going on between the old miko, Kaede, and the resident houshi - Miroku. The dawn had been kind, had gathered itself up and leapt between the leaves, but then the day had darkened, become heavy with speckled granite clouds and infrequent patches of slate sky. Gusts of wind from the south swayed children in their steps and brought a marshy smell with them, thick and salty. It was a perfect atmosphere for arguing, and the villagers could only do their best to ignore the sound of raised voices coming from Kaede's hut.

Women preparing vegetables in the dark for the midday meal came to peer beyond their doorways and scolded the impending raindrops under their breaths. Men gathered in the common house with sticks and dice, and drank cup after cup of hot sake to keep back the chill.

The stone sky overhead gave way quickly to a boiling fume like an angry black sea, ultramarine at all its corners. Thunder brooded in the distance, beckoning, and almost instantly an answer of drops pattered through the wavering heads of the trees and onto rooftops.

Beneath the thunder, the angry words continued unabated.

"You heard what I said, Kaede! She told me herself; if you try to hurt him -"

"He is a demon! Do not compare Kagome to him, or Shippou, or even Inuyasha - this one, this Sesshomaru - to allow him in this village is madness! And Kagome! Whatever has possessed her, I can only hope she comes to her senses and returns to us soon!"

Kaede was standing in the center of the floor, her arms crossed firmly over her chest, her single eye glaring harshly into Miroku's face. He had begun much more calmly than she had; all things considered, he supposed this was only to be expected. Despite himself, though, he was surprised at how vehemently she was objecting - at how fiercely she insisted they should bring violence to Sesshomaru!

_As if it would do any good anyway! As if any of us could harm him, especially if - especially since Kagome does not want it!_

"You really mean it, Kaede? You think all would be well if Kagome were to return here? I don't think that is true."

"Miroku!"

"No! I'm serious, Kaede - I think this may be the best thing for her - I think...I think Sesshomaru may be the best _person_ for her."

The rings at the head of his staff jingled sharply as he pointed it in her direction; his voice became harder, demanding.

"Tell me you ever really believed that Inuyasha wanted Kagome for her own sake, and not for Kikyou's - never mind his best intentions, never mind what he may have wanted to believe!"

She was speechless; Miroku continued more softly.

"Tell me that you truly believe she didn't know it, even as she was trying to love him - even as she was trying, every day, to make it not so."

Kaede took a deep breath, her brows contracted as if for speech, but Miroku didn't stop long enough for her to speak.

"Kaede, Sesshomaru may actually care for her; someday, even love her. Do you think he's the type of person to do something he doesn't absolutely want to do? There is no shadow between them, no cloud hanging over them. Even Inuyasha's death seems to have done something to draw them closer together."

He paused, and his staff retreated to rest once more on the ground.

"I have talked to him, Kaede, and he is cordial. Not friendly, not warm in the least, but polite...willing to reach out for her sake - and I can tell, I can see it is for her sake. Only a fool would think that anything less has the power to move him."

Kaede had finally been silenced, and he shrugged a little and continued in a quieter voice.

"The point is, Kaede, no matter what any of us want, or think, the only one who can choose is Kagome herself...and she's done that. None of us is any threat to him - to either of them! You never saw, Kaede, the terrible power Sesshomaru holds in check; Kagome has seen him transformed, in the giant shape of the Inu - she described it to me, and the description was more than enough."

"Are you telling me to accept this because we can do nothing else, Miroku?"

He sighed, shook his head.

"No, I'm telling you to accept this because it's what Kagome wants. Is it fair to abandon her because she wears a different skin, Kaede? Does that mean her judgment is wrong, now? If she had come to you when she was still human, and had explained that she was the mate of Sesshomaru, would you have this fear of him? Or would you believe in _her_ enough to let it be?"

He could see she was struggling with this.

"Miroku, I do not...I do not wish to deny that she is still Kagome - it _is not her_ that worries me! You know that! She was like - she _is_ like a daughter to me. But I am not pleased at the thought of this _Sesshomaru_ wandering freely through our village, without even a word against it; he is a demon in every sense of the word, Miroku!"

He smiled grimly and shook his head a little.

"I can't deny it. Didn't I just say I had heard more than enough to make me fear him? No...I understand, Kaede, I do! But I don't think he will be willing to let Kagome out of his sight for long...not soon, at any rate, and soon for demons is a different thing than soon for us. If you want to see her, there may not be any way around seeing him, too."

Kaede grimaced.

"That thought had occurred to me. But Miroku, does this mean you expect to have him at your wedding? Not only a miko to officiate instead of a priest, but an Inu-miko - and the son of the Inu no Taisho hovering in the background? That surely won't be comfortable for you..."

"You're right."

Suddenly, Kaede was the one who was uncomfortable; his grim face had become a grin with lightning speed.

"That's why Sango and I decided we're going to invite him ourselves."

"What?"

"That's why I came over in the first place; to tell you that we were going to go and bring the invitation. Before she left Kagome made sure we had good directions; it's a huge fortress surrounded by a white stone wall, apparently, so I don't think it will be too hard to find..."

"Miroku! Are you sure that you can go there safely?"

He spoke firmly, as if to make sure it was the final word on the subject.

"Yes. Or Kagome would not have told us we could. We won't be leaving today, though - not in the rain. Whenever it stops - we'll go then."

* * *

The silence was complete; the wind was the only thing that spoke, and only in seeming, loud by its absence, the complete stillness of the air. A shimmer moved, and solely a shimmer, but at the center of a circle of silence was an agony; a cry came from a figure distorted by pain, but the figure was invisible to most eyes, inaudible to most ears.

A whisper rose in the stillness after that cry. It came from many mouthless voices and was hidden by the thickness of the air, claiming that thickness with a promise of vengeance. It arose in the empty place where the wind belonged and screamed defiance, Challenge, promises.

Within the waiting silence was Kasuka, and blood, and Power.

A moan seeped from her mouth, a thin wail of weakness, and she lay almost spent on white, hard ground, in a dark pool of redness she had painted with her own flesh. Crimson had dyed the surface of the mirror she had taken from a secret place, and she held it delicately, touching it with only the tips of her claws. The bright color of the shining surface promised life, and also death – it was the source of the call that had fractured the land around her.

Slowly, heedless of the warning of her slow pulse, heedless of the spreading red circle, Kasuka summoned her power, and felt a wave of strength return to her from the mirror she had fed so well.

_I need…my kin. Warriors and Warmasters, the will of my people, the will of my ancestors – for my father's sake. For the sake of our House._

Kasuka focused her will, and through her eyelids, she saw movement as if of red mist, rising from the tension between her blood and the mirror, coalescing into reflection-shapes with pitted eyes full of darkness and slow-moving wings, each one Dragon, powerful, moving from the shape of the Beast to one more restrained. It was her will that summoned them from the dust of Hell, and one after another, filling the silence, filling the empty space, they came to her, congealed to her.

She lay still, feeding the growth of this her promise, these, her summoned deaths. They were reborn of her blood, sustained by it, and when the immediate brightness of that Blood had gone they were each different, with their own face, but their eyes were all the same – the ice-blueness, the cold color that had been the mark of her House, her clan, in the days when such things had mattered.

She smiled at them, and they crowded closer, filling their emptiness from her as she built the binding union, the mastery of will that would be necessary in the days to come.

_When I summon the other Dens, they will come – and when I show them what I have done, what I can do, they will answer my call – they will throw themselves to my will, and when I ask for a sacrifice, they will throw themselves at my feet. We will restore the rule of Blood, the way it ought to be – it is my right!_

But despite her confidence, she heard the echo of ancient words and had to shake her head to dislodge them – they were thunder in her awareness, the voice of the dead Inu no Taisho.

"_What is this right you speak of, this right you claim? It answers only to death, that right – it is power that rules among us, not right! Blood is power, and power is life, over death. But you will never understand!_"

She shivered, but it was not enough to turn her away from the path she had chosen.

The echo of Kasuka's power, Kasuka's mirror, flowed over the land like the movement of a waterless sea.

* * *

In the northwest, deep in the Dreaming Wood, the one who was called Eldest felt the breaking of that land-born tide as she sat by a dark pool in her solitary house. She shuddered, and closed her eyes against the memories of events that were to come. When she opened them again, her gaze settled on a few things that had been set aside long ago in preparation for these moments. By nightfall, she was readying herself for a journey southward, to a place she had not seen in six thousand seasons.

In that place in the south, Kagome stood on a bridge in the contemplation garden and shivered, felt the power moving, a miko-memory in it, and blinked widely in confusion. She ran her hands over her arms, trying to rub a sudden chill from her skin. There was a swelling in the distance, of which her Sight-beyond-sight revealed a glimpse like a shining dome to the northeast. It was a glittering of Power that dissolved almost immediately, as if the mere touch of her awareness had destroyed it.

She tried, but could not find it again; it was as though it had never existed at all.

* * *

A/N: Phew! I find it so much easier to work on this story than the others; poor Yuuko has been stuck for a month now...and the epilogue of Ukime is just dragging along...ah well. Anyway, you guys are lucky because Bloodlust sprouts plots and twists like a forest. Apparently about half of that forest is full of citrus fruits...interesting, right? :D Anyway, YAY, play date! A little unusual, but then, Shippou is kitsune and Rin has been...raised, shall we call it, by Sesshomaru? I see the potential for so much mayhem in that combination. Anyway, Coming Soon: The Demon Slayer, The Houshi, and Why it is a Bad Idea to Leave Your Mother Waiting At The Gate. Also Coming Soon: Kouga! (need more be said?) And now, reviews!

Kouga's Older Woman: Of course! Kagome needs some support of her own that isn't completely based on Sesshomaru...and _he_ doesn't quite get it yet, but all things in time! Kagome is going to try as hard as she can to be useful - and now that she' s youkai, she going to find that it entails some difficult things. Kouga, by the way...is on his way! I don't want to promise him in the next chapter, but I _think_ that's where he's going to be!

iiSquint: At first this was going to be an oh no! But since you've been able to read the chapters, I guess that's not necessary! Much thanks for your extremely kind reviews! Hopefully I can keep up to your standards!

lunarcat12: Ah-ha! I wondered when someone was going to figure that out. Heh. Remember, though, Sesshomaru was sort of...out of it when she first showed up - and he is not aware that Kasuka saw Kagome. He will, of course, shortly be _made_ aware...and won't that be fun! And I think you're right - intense is good - but I wonder if poor Kagome can handle it!

AMUTOLOVER09: Hehe we'll see about that...but really, if she was a pushover she'd be in big trouble! As far as the veils go, remember, Sesshomaru didn't want to share her, according to tradition (and because he's selfish like that) as far as where the tradition itself comes from - that we're going to find out very soon!

Clara954: Much thanks! I'm hopelessly in love with the ancient world, so I try to paint it as much as I can with words; I'm glad you like it!

Anime Lady PIMP: Kagome is TOTALLY scary. Or as least, capable of being scary. I always imagined her as the type who would stick up for the little kids in the schoolyard, you know, yell at the bully? Which is basically what this amounted to, only with youkai, which equals with blood! Poor Kouga...he'll be back soon, clueless as always - for a little while. The cosmic two by four of 'Finally Getting It' will hit him very shortly...

Avarenda: Much thanks! Compelling is an _excellent _word to find in a review!

darlingangel0565: And much thanks for you as well! Behold: more is here!

Final Revisions, Complete! Ah, working on Sunday sucks, but...eh. Time to edit, right? :D R&R!


	24. XXIV: Midnight Meetings

XXIV

Midnight Meetings

* * *

Under the thin light of the waning moon, far in the north under the golden ghost-glow of a foggy sky, black shapes like winged shadows were moving. They blotted out the blue-burning stars, gathering in ones and twos and threes; by the midnight rise of the thickest darkness, there were a thousand eyes glittering from the bare branches and the hard ground, each a jeweled point – topaz, ruby, sapphire, ice.

In the night-quiet there were only whispers, soft questions, but an hour passed, and then two, and finally the hushed talk gave way to open agitation, the loud call of a question that encompassed them all.

"Who was it that summoned us, the lords of the Dragon dens? Who was it that called?"

No one answered; there was silence except for the sound of breathing.

"Who – who summons us?"

"The House of Fire – "

"Yes, that was the call, the old call, the old summons. Only from the House of Fire – "

'The House of Fire is dead! We should never have come!"

"Who? Who was it? One of us, or another?"

Finally, when the noise and the recrimination had reached heights of violence, a voice moved around them and through them, not loud but perfectly clear, captivating in its purity and intensity.

"I called you! I, and I will seek among you for the strongest – for the one who will be Dragonlord!"

Kasuka came with that voice, born on wind and power, surrounded by a tall and silent bodyguard, Dragons all, each one with an eerie blue shimmer of glacial eyes. She expected surprise or astonishment from those who listened, but there was only silence, even heavier than her presence, and one voice that spoke in the tones of mocking laughter.

"A Dragonlord? It has been more than two thousand years since the last Dragonlord was put under the ground. The House of Fire is dead - the end of its Blood withers in that Tiger, Kinawai, and he is not even one of us! Who are you, to –"

Wrath blazed at them, crackled, beating like blue-violet lightning.

"You have forgotten? You no longer know my name?"

As one, the Dragon lords stepped back from the flickering of her power.

"I am Kasuka, and I am the last of the House of Fire! _I_ am the last, not the Tiger who is my mate! My father fell, the last Dragonlord, and when he died all of you fell with him!"

She used her anger like a whip, and struck hard.

"And you forget my name; you say _dead!_ Do you forget my father, and the pride of your own place, the honor of it, as well? Do you?"

Her questions beat on them like the heat of a terrible fire.

"You, who are kin to the Dragonlords, the mightiest among us - now, you sit in Council – now, you debate like _humans_! Where is your Dragon heart?"

Cautious, unsure, they murmured among themselves and fell back from the rush of her power. It was dangerous – she was dangerous, and by her danger she intimidated them.

"We do not forget, but those days are faded and gone. We are not strong enough to bring the Houses of the Blood under our will. We remember the Godslayer, the Inu no Taisho – and his son..."

Kasuka did not see the one who spoke, but there were nods all through the watching circle, whispers of agreement. Without a word, she held up the mirror from beneath her cloak, and the bodyguard that had come with her stepped away so the assembled Dragons could all see. There was a collective inhalation, almost a gasp. A whisper moved among them, a susurration of breath:

"The Mirror…the Mirror!"

And Kasuka smiled; their reaction was more than she had hoped.

"Now, do you understand? There is no lessening of our strength, nor our will – not for those who remember, those who know where to look. I have been in a place of power, and been rewarded for it. I ask for nothing that I do not give back a hundred-fold."

Gradually, the murmurs faded into silence. Kasuka stood alone in the center of the group, felt a hundred eyes perusing her, thinking...thinking.

Finally, one Dragon leapt from his place amidst the trees and stood still and calm in front of her, watching warily. Respectfully, he bowed – and then took one step back.

"Lady, you have not yet asked for _anything_ - and I have been waiting to hear what it would be you might want from us. Once before you came to me and mine, in the days when you were Storm Flower. You came to us, asking for aid – we paid in Blood, and kept your secrets from the Inu, but we learned his strength. Can that Mirror stand against the son of the Inu no Taisho? Can it stand against Sesshomaru?"

Kasuka's eyes became narrow, darker, and she allowed half of her smile to sink away from her face.

"Your name, Dragon – what is your name?"

"Tatsuya is my name, Lady. I am lord of the Silent House – what is left of it. It was my father who did your work when last you came among us seeking _help_, and for a century he lay sealed by the power of his defeated foe, until the half-blood son of that foe killed him. Long before that, in the first days after my father was sealed, Sesshomaru, the elder son, slew my brothers and hearth-brothers, the sons of my father and his mate."

Kasuka's eyes narrowed on the face of this Tatsuya. She knew him now – the last son of Ryuukotsusei still living, a powerful youkai in his own right.

'That is why I ask you, lady - what is it you want of us? Can the Mirror stand against the Inu?"

Kasuka drew in a deep, silent breath.

"Have I not already said what it is I desire, why it is I have come? I want the one who will be Dragonlord and your aid to restore what should be, that one to his place. As for the Mirror…tell me, Tatsuya, how many guards have I?"

His eyes flickered, counting.

"Eleven, lady."

Swift as thought, her arm shot out, deep into the flesh of one of her silent bodyguards. Still he did not make a sound. When her hand returned from his chest, it held a motionless heart, a heart that did not beat, and the Dragon did not crumple, or fall, or scream. He stood for a moment longer...and then disappeared, like a mist of red dust, heart and all. Not even a stain was left on her hand.

There was a collective gasp from the surrounding Dragons, but Kasuka continued her calm questions.

"Now how many, Tatsuya?"

"T-Ten, Lady – but why? What does that prove?"

Carefully, lovingly, Kasuka teased a single drop of blood from her finger, and let it fall onto the flat surface of the mirror in her other hand. The silver surface rippled, and was replaced by the rich red color of her blood. As though he had never been gone, her Guard returned, even to the place he had been standing; there was an outcry from the watchers and Tatsuya started backward violently.

"What – What?"

Kasuka's smile grew wider, and she tucked away the mirror.

"This is the power I have woken, the power of the Mirror. They die and leave not a trace behind; they live as though awakening from a long sleep. I called them from the Plains of Hell – warriors, Warleaders, the hope of ancient days. Do you see now?"

Her lips curled in a calculating smile.

"Who could fight against such an army – an army that will not stay dead?"

Reverently, his eyes half on her and half on the warrior-bodyguard that surrounded her, Tatsuya knelt and bowed his head.

"Kasuka-sama, I will believe in you – in this power, that not even the Inu no Taisho himself could fight! For my father and brothers, for vengeance – you have my sword, Lady, but I am not worthy to be Dragonlord."

He stood, and looked across the gathering.

"None of us is worthy – only you, lady, have the power and the right of Blood. If you –"

But Kasuka stopped his words with a violent motion.

"No! I am female, and it is not the Way. I will hold this place; if it is the will of you all, I will be Warleader, but I will not rule over you. That is not what I want; I want…only vengeance."

The watchers had returned to silence.

"For now, I need only a few of you. You, Tatsuya – do you desire real vengeance against the slayer of your father, the slayer of your brothers?"

This time when he spoke, Tatsuya's voice was dark with blood. Lightning simmered in his gaze, touched the youkai red with storm yellow.

"Yes."

Kasuka smiled.

_Mine._

"Then you shall lead these Guards of mine; you shall be my first lieutenant and bring back a trophy for me."

"Yes, Kasuka-sama. What is it you desire?"

Her smile became flat, almost ironic.

"Bring me the hanyou's head; I desire the death of Inuyasha! After all, it is vengeance I have offered you..."

Tatsuya's eyes were hungry for the death that had been promised to him; Kasuka laughed, delighted with the expression, and the sound poured over them like cold oil, clotted and dark.

"Now, listen to me carefully – this is what you must do, but not before I tell you – not before it is time."

* * *

When the morning had brightened itself over the clearing, it was empty. For the sake of ancient days, messengers were sent from the dens of many Dragons who remained unsure, remembering too well the power of their allotted enemy - north and west they ran, to the expanse of glittering forest that was the Dreaming Wood. They went into the forest searching for Eldest, last of the Dragon-miko, most ancient Mother in the line of the House of Fire.

They found nothing but dreams, and could not know if they were _her_ power, or some property of the ancient wood and its long thoughts. Those that went in did not come out; the shadows under the trees swallowed them in silence.

The growing whispers among the Dragon dens spared no more thought or attention for her after that; if she chose to live away from them, if she would not aid them, they would not bother her. Their heads were still ringing with the chime that had called them; their eyes were still blinded by the brightness of the Mirror; their hearts had been awakened to a thirst for vengeance full of two thousand years of longing. They wanted Kasuka's promise, and the memory of greatness.

They could not have imagined that Eldest would leave her sanctuary – that even as they gathered in darkness, she walked in the direction of the one they had chosen as an enemy.

Well-pleased with what she had accomplished, Kasuka returned to the fortress of her mate. It was required of her that she be at Kinawai's side when the Inu presented his new _mate_. Fifty, even twenty years earlier she might have worried, wondering if this female would give him pups, add more lives to the line of this House she wanted to destroy – but now it was too late, too late for them both.

_It was a good beginning; it shows promise. Tatsuya has all the rage he needs to accomplish his task._

Carefully examining the rich cloth, Kasuka lay out the robes that were her potential choices for the Inu's _gathering_. Even as she ran her fingers ran through the silk her thoughts stayed with the Mirror, the Mirror and her kin.

_But there is one more piece I would like to have in play...before the game begins._

Her features became dark; her smile was vicious, gleaming with the premonition of victory. She eyed the sky through the window, and made her decision quickly, leaving the clothes behind.

* * *

As darkness was falling over the southern forest, Kouga came loping back through the trees with the skinned and gutted carcass of a deer slung over his shoulder, wrapped in its own hide . It had been ages since he'd had a chance to hunt alone, to have some time to himself to think, and his thoughts were direct and to the point. It had been nearly a year since Naraku's death, nearly a year since he had last had word from Kagome, or the Inu-baka, or their friends. He was starting to think that it was time he went back for her; wasn't her quest over now - wasn't she a free woman?

He was encouraged, too, by the rumors that were circulating about the Inu's new mate; the invitation he had received to her presentation hadn't included any interesting details, but if it were true...

_If he has taken a human! I wouldn't believe it, except he's had that girl for so long -_

And another thought struck him as he dropped the deer in the circle of light exuding from the mouth of his den; a smirk tugged up the corners of his mouth.

_And just imagine, if I showed up with Kagome at my side! She is human, yes, but she is miko, the guardian of the shikon no tama!_

His pleasant thoughts were interrupted by a sudden and deafening pair of shouts.

"Kouga-samaaaa! Kouga-sama!"

Ginta and Hakkaku ran up to him as one flailing creature of four arms and four legs.

"I thought two heads were supposed to be _better_ than one..."

"Kouga-sama!"

"Kouga-sama - "

_Thud!_

_Thump!_

"Quiet, you pair of fools!"

Kouga's fist remained threateningly close to Hakkaku's forehead; he quivered and tried to cover his head with his hands. Ginta ventured to roll over a little so he could pull his arm out from under him and hold up the piece of paper that was clenched in his hand. Scowling, Kouga leaned forward and plucked it from between Ginta's fingers, and then turned away. There was only a single line printed on the page, the black ink stark against the white paper; the characters had been set down by an unfamiliar hand.

"Await a visitor in darkness..."

Kouga turned swiftly, suddenly staring towards the trees with a suspicious expression. He held the sheet of thin paper in his hands, inscribed with that single line, a mysterious promise that filled him with sinister expectations. Ginta stood by his left side, waiting in the half-crouching position he had assumed when he handed over the message; Hakkaku stayed coweringly still.

Kouga's eyes dilated in the flickering starlight, became thin circles of reflective red around a wide, dark pupil.

_First the Inu, with his mate and his presentation - and now, this! _

"A visitor in darkness?"

Kouga growled as he repeated himself, tightened his fist so that the paper crinkled and tore, and turned so that his piercing glare fell on Ginta instead of the empty forest. He had only been gone for six hours, hunting - just six! Was that all it took for chaos to make its way in, for inexplicable occurrences to start bringing new trouble?

_We are barely starting to recover – the new females, the new pups – and we have to protect them - _

"When did this come? Who was the one who brought it - where did he go?"

"I-I- don't know! It came in the middle of the afternoon - the message isn't signed, and the one who brought it left before he could be questioned!"

Suddenly stiff-backed, Kouga whipped around and stared out into the night, the trees that surrounded them with whispering leaves and the nocturnal sounds of many beasts.

It was silent now.

"Go, Ginta, Hakkaku. Get inside. I think something is close, now…or someone."

The pair of wolves let out a relieved sigh as he turned. Both scrambled up quickly and left him standing alone.

In that same moment, a cold wind blew down from the north, a wind without scents in it. At first it seemed a cleaner wind, fresh and empty with the promise of the coming season, the promise of winter. For a moment, Kouga closed his eyes and felt the swift movement of that wind, and then the air around him became still.

In the stillness, there was heaviness, a black energy that pressed against all his senses. The edge of the forest that overlooked the mouth of the den seemed suddenly to lean over him, the dark leaves unmoving and perfectly outlined, sharp against the silence.

Kouga breathed deeply and tasted something more disturbing than the general ill-scent of the air that had been bothering him, but found himself unable to define it. The wind that had brought it was still empty, but...

Slowly, he turned, staring into the trees and their suspicious shadows and behind him, at the rising crest of the rock that cradled his den beneath it. It was stark and craggy against the stars, but as he turned there was finally a sound behind him, the rustle of a cloak moving over dry leaves.

In a blur, he turned back; at the edge of the fern-brush, someone in a long, hooded robe and cloak was standing. The face remained in shadow; the figure was slender and moved gracefully, but Kouga was instantly aware of one impossible difficulty, and found himself struck blank by it.

_No scent! Just like the wind – what is going on, here?_

He recovered quickly. His face became hard; his lips, thin, bloodless, parted to show the points of white and shining fangs.

"You are the _visitor_ I was told to expect?"

The figure nodded once. Kouga took a few steps forward, and his right hand tensed, his claws glittering in the faint moonlight.

"Who you are, I cannot tell. You have no scent, and that's impossible...but if you were meaning to impress me..."

He shook his head, bared his fangs.

"All you've done is make obvious how little I should trust you. Why have you come here?"

He sensed, though he could not see, that this unknown visitor was smiling, and the voice that spoke was rich and female...not quite familiar.

"I am only a messenger, lord, and being such I come but with a message. Yet it is a message you would do well to listen to."

The sound of each world was pulling, persuasive. Kouga heard sensuous overtones, and the first hints of a hidden lure.

"Only a messenger? So then tell me your message, and who it belongs to. They must be someone of _unusual _talents."

Through the listening stillness, the hooded messenger approached him and he found himself unable to move, all his senses tingling.

"I am sent as one who speaks for the Dragonlord. Do you understand? As it was in the most ancient days it will be again, and by the oath of your House I am bid to call you. You must serve as once your ancestors did - Wolf, lord of the Golden House, Guardian of the Silver Gate."

The thin smile that had spread across Kouga's face had not been enough warning to stop the messenger from finishing her speech; now he broke into rough and scouring laughter and reached out one pointing finger to silence her.

"You speak for a _Dragonlord_? You summon me – to be Gatekeeper and Guardian, to serve another?"

The laughter died from beneath his words as quickly as it had come into being.

"Even if I were to see someone stupid enough to claim that title, I wouldn't obey them - I obey no one!"

He fixed her with a hard stare, and his pointing finger became a fist, fell to his side.

"I will not be servant to anyone; I am the Lord of the Golden House, a Lord of Council! The Dragonlord and all his get are dead, and even if there was one left, one lord with the arrogance to call himself by that name, I would never bow to the last scion of that defeated brood!"

Kouga paused, smirked, crossed his arms across his chest.

"And neither would anyone else."

There was silence when he stopped talking, and he thought that perhaps he had left his strange visitor too shocked to speak. But when words finally came to his ears, it was obvious that it was not shock, but anger moving her tongue – and so darkened was this messenger by her anger that she did not appear to notice the slyness of the new smile that was spreading across Kouga's face.

_I am beginning to think – do I know you, messenger?_

"Defeated? Do you forget that it was the Inu no Taisho who defied the rule of the Dragonlord, as he led his _dogs_ howling through the night until everything was broken? That it was he, who shattered the hatching grounds and the shining eggs, who brought the last dragon down forever, who –"

Her voice was no longer as disguised by sultry tones, even though she still bore no scent - and Kouga was tempted to attach an identity to that voice...so tempted! He interrupted her and _his_ voice was black was an old anger.

"Why should I care about that ancient history? It was not the Inu no Taisho who set the events in motion that _I _care about - the events that led to my father's death...and his! It was not _he_ who cast suspicion on my father and the honor of his last Challenge!"

Kouga took two steps forward; his visitor took three steps back.

"It was Dragon-assassins, and human gold, and Ryuukotsusei of the Silent House who did that!"

_That it was those humans that killed the Inu no Taisho even I could not deny...but the origin of their attack! And - Dragons! To interfere with Challenge, bring those suspicions on my father…_

"What is it you thought you would accomplish here, _messenger_? Who sent you?"

And as he spoke, Kouga turned toward the south; the old breeze had returned, carrying that horrible taste, so familiar, so painful in its ragged depth. The messenger-female answered him calmly, with studied patience that was almost patronizing.

"Have you not been listening - did you not here when I said who sent me? But...as to the other...we seek your aid only for the death of the Inu lord, Sesshomaru. Surely that is something we share…that desire."

The sultry tones were back in her voice. Kouga had looked away as he turned, but now he looked back at this strange messenger and his eyes were hard as onyx; the light of the late autumn stars shattered in them.

"No, _messenger_, if that is truly what you are. Never again will the Golden House rise in answer to any call other than mine! My debts are my own, and I will pay them…when the time is right."

The female stepped forward, and her voice was almost a screech of anger and displeasure.

"You will regret that you made this choice, when the time comes. Perhaps there will be another opportunity for you to rethink this – but when _I _exact payment from _you_, I will take it in full!"

She laughed, a sound like acid, and turned to stalk away.

With a flash, Kouga darted forward; his claws cut through the air, reaching, and he felt his fingers slide through silk. The tips of his claws sent a few strands of hair spiraling towards the ground – instead of skin, his claws had parted only her hood. Despite this, he heard a hiss of fearful, indrawn breath, and saw an ebony-green shine of hair beneath the sliding folds of cloth before the messenger shot away from him and disappeared into the shadow of the wood.

Swiftly, Kouga strode forward, but already there was neither sight or sound of the messenger. It was easy for her to vanish; without a scent, she left no trace behind.

"K-Kouga-sama?"

Ginta stepped forward from the mouth of the den and its concealing darkness, and his eyes were wide, his expression concerned.

"Should I send someone after that one?"

Kouga shook his head and stepped back from the forest edge. Ginta held a skin of dark leather that smelled of wine, and the sound of his voice had dispelled the unnatural stillness of the trees.

"No. There would be no point – she had no scent, Ginta. No scent – how is that possible? But I wonder...her voice was familiar..."

"Oh...well...does that mean that you know her, Kouga-sama?"

Kouga blinked, and his face brightened for a moment and then fell, becoming more shadowed than it had begun.

"I – no. No, I do not know her, or at least...I don't want to think so..."

His voice trailed off as he walked past Ginta into the den, and Ginta's eyes followed him, worried.

"So what is it you're carrying, Ginta?"

Ginta almost jumped, startled. As if nothing had happened, Kouga was glancing back at him with all the old arrogance and superiority.

"Uh, the - the new wine that's ready, Kouga-sama. Tokiko's kin sent it, as congratulations for the birth of her pups."

Without comment, Kouga took the skin and drained a long swallow. His eyes dilated and then came back to color, and he smiled.

"A good season - better than the last few. They managed a real gold off this pressing."

He grinned suddenly, and passed the skin back to Ginta.

"Send some of _that_ to the Inu's presentation – perhaps it will lighten his temper."

The grin softened somewhat, and his steps became slower, more even.

"But how is Tokiko, and my pups? Is she well?"

Ginta smiled.

"Yes, well. She wanted to see you, and...uh, so does her father..."

Kouga's pleased expression faded away.

"He still tries to convince me to mate her – now that she has cubs, it will be worse. He thinks she has the strongest claim."

"Tokiko is a devoted female, high-born - and she is strong, to survive a birth of three pups."

A hand fell on Ginta's shoulder, and the smile was back.

"Yes, she is all that, or I wouldn't have chosen her to have my pups. But – she is not the one I want for my mate. She – is not the one."

His eyes glowed red-gold and shining in the fire-lit gloom of the den's passage.

"So you...you really still want Kagome-nee-san, Kouga-sama?"

Kouga closed his eyes, remembering. He could still see Kagome's face in his mind's eye, as she had been the very last day he saw her.

"Yes…my Kagome. Before this business with the Inu is over, I will go find her. I have waited long enough."

"Ahh..."

Kouga turned at the sound; he surprised a strange expression on Ginta's face, a look of mingled pity and sorrow.

"What is _that_ face for, Ginta?"

Suddenly the other Wolf's features were smooth again – Kouga wondered if he had imagined the previous moment.

"I-It was n-nothing, Kouga-sama! N-Nothing!"

Kouga held his eyes a moment longer, and then nodded and turned away.

"Go for now, Ginta."

His thoughts lingered on Kagome, on the last day he had been with her – on the words he had spoken and her smile, her smile and her brilliant tears, tears she had refused to explain to him. 'I will be your friend – your good friend.' He had said it – he would find her, and make it more than true.

Kouga made his way to his own chambers and lay back on his furs and smiled to himself, thinking of her.

* * *

At the entrance to the den, Ginta stood alone breathing the strangeness of the night, and felt only pity for his hopeful lord and his dreams. There was a rustling behind him, and he turned his head quickly and looked away again when he saw it was only Hakkaku.

For Kouga's sake, he was trying to awaken doubt in himself – thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, there was some _other_ reason for Kagome's presence in Sesshomaru's fortress than the reason he suspected – some other reason for the layers and layers of her scent. But as hard as he tried, he could not find any. He looked into the days to come, and saw blood – between Sesshomaru and his Kouga-sama, a river of Blood. If the message of his senses had been true, and Kouga went to that presentation and found Kagome already taken, he would Challenge. He would Challenge, and as his father had died, he would die – on the claws and fangs of the Inu, bloody and broken...

Hakkaku broke the silence of Ginta's thoughts with a low question.

"Still think we shouldn't say anything? Kouga's got that look on his face again -"

Ginta sighed.

"I know - but what can we do? You saw how he was with Inuyasha, even when Kagome-nee-san said that- "

"I know, I know. He is _so_ going to hurt us when he finds out..."

"Let's hope he's still _able_ to hurt us when he finds out! If Kouga-sama challenges that Sesshomaru - !"

Hakkaku shook his head, and shuddered; both of them shared the same thought.

_What will be, will be._

But in the den of the Wolf there were no easy dreams that night.

* * *

A/N: Phew! Spring break - sleep is so awesome! So, presenting Kouga, getting to do something, finally – and being harassed by evil. EEEVIL! Heh. Also, I have fun with Ginta and Hakkaku - they seem so left out all the time, poor guys. This chapter was going to be _completely_ different when I originally started it, but time and my brain have taken their toll. The good part about this is that it means the _next_ chapter is mostly done already...hurrah! Now, reviews...

Little Miss Morphine: Aha! Yes! It took me a while to figure out how the two of them would play, let me tell you...I'm glad you liked it!

Kouga's Older Woman: yay! And a little bit of Kouga...poor Kouga. The more I write his parts the more badly I feel for him...ah well. He'll have his awesome moments eventually!

clara954: Much thanks! I try to keep everything pretty balanced so no one gets forgotten and things don't get too crazy!

AMUTOLOVER09: Aha! Naraku and Kasuka! You know, if he weren't dead already...hehe. But seriously, where would a therapist even BEGIN with her, psychotic thing that she is? I know I created her, but sometimes I read through it and I wonder...are there really vengeance obsessed people who get this scary? And then I think, wow, I reeeeeally hope not!

saymoney22: Stupid and Kouga is sort of a matter of degree, isn't it? I mean...he just never gets it! Ah, but it's alright. Like I said before, _eventually_ he will!

lunarcat12: Ah, Kasuka...you know, the thing about her is that she's convinced herself that she's the only one with the right idea about what's going on...Kouga doesn't seem to be up for it, but that's just going to make her more mad, just wait and see! A slap would probably be a good idea...or a sword. Or some other way of causing death. And boy, are you anticipating! Let's try this problem...Sango plus Miroku multiplied by Sesshomaru's Mother...equals... :D Fun Stuff. (They were originally in this chapter, you know, but...Kouga won.)

Selene88Sakura: Much thanks! Yeah...Sesshomaru's gotta get his head around the whole idea of love...he doesn't really know what it is, you see...but guaranteed, Kouga will make it obvious enough.

Ichirei: Sickness! The most evil creation of the world...always feels like you're dying no matter what you have. Ech! Hope you're feeling better by now; one new chapter as promised, and more soon (because chapter 25 is almost done!) Oh! And much thanks for love on chapter 22 - I liked that one too! :D

Anon: Wow! Anonymous, but awesome! Much thanks for...well, a really great compliment! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Lady Roaddog: much thanks for the comment! more soon!

Hopefully I didn't forget anyone - as always, Please Review!

Final Revisions...Complete! Yay! Onward! (R&R!)


	25. XXV: Days Of Darkness, House of Fire

XXV.

Of The Days Of Darkness And The House Of Fire

* * *

The days were passing quickly, one after another. In the privacy of Shippou's bedroom and the room beyond his secret door, Rin and Shippou devoted a good deal of their waking time to the picture they had begun together; by the fourth day, it had become a series of pictures, and by the seventh, more of a book - but they were both quite proud of their work.

Sesshomaru spent those days planning things that he would share with no one - not with Kinawai, who lingered even now, when there was business for him to attend to in his own lands; not even with Kagome, who was aware of his preoccupation but distracted enough herself to ignore it.

Her distraction was his fault, and perhaps he had intended it that way; she was buried in papers, in scrolls and carefully bound books. Every morning he left something out for her - at first, as he had said, it was the simplest beginnings - the songs one would teach a child, the legends of a few great heroes. She was not surprised to find his father's name among those heroes, but she found there for the first time a reference that called him not only Inu no Taisho, but _Godslayer_; the ancient text named him as _He-Who-Killed-The-Bright-Crimson-Shining-Divine-Radiance_.

Kagome had almost laughed at that one - what kind of title was that? How many years had it been since these words were first written down? How many times had they been copied? When she had asked Sesshomaru, he had looked at her with the faint amusement she had begun to recognize, and barely shrugged.

"I recopied many of these texts myself when I was a pup, and more later, when I had the time. The words, though...they are ancient, and the histories of the Days of Darkness were penned by Eldest herself, six thousand years ago when men who were barely more than animals first came to this place."

He had refused to answer any more of her questions, though; he had brought her to the baths in the basement of this place, the ancient springs...and she had not brought her questions back out of the water to torment him with.

But that was only the second day.

The third and the fourth and all the rest since, it had been the same, and while she understood some of his urgency she couldn't help but feel that his real motive in all of this was to keep her from asking _other _questions. She had heard him talking to Kinawai, and she knew that her _presentation_ would be the night of no moon - the new moon, when the sky was darkest.

She had tried, reading carefully, to find any hints at all as to what might be going to happen to her, but there were none; many of the things that Sesshomaru had given to her to study were in his own hand, gradually strengthening characters that took on a greater elegance and precision as she read - and as she read, she was convinced that he had chosen things that were informative and interesting, but without a single clue.

She was positive that he had done this _on purpose_ - and not withstanding her unsuccessful detective work, she was also irritated that his calligraphy was so..._perfect_. She had been proud of her handwriting before, had won awards for it in school, back when such things had still mattered - but now she couldn't look at it without cringing and scowling at the same time.

_Sesshomaru!_

It was quickly becoming obvious to her that there was probably nothing he could not do, and do well. _Nothing_! It was aggravating, to say the least, but Kagome found that it was not so difficult to forgive him his perfectionist tendencies.

After all, he was...Sesshomaru.

* * *

The scrolls Sesshomaru had first handed to Kagome were only the beginning - so he had said - and as the hours and days ticked by, Kagome felt the truth of his statement begin to overwhelm her. There really was more than ten thousand years of history piled in front of her, writings that spanned so much time it made her head spin.

_This_ morning, the seventh morning, the first thing she looked at had made her scowl and rub her eyes, made suddenly itchy by an explosion of dust. Gifted by youkai stamina, unaware of passing time, Kagome slowly became so absorbed in her new texts that she forgot she was reading. The words in front of her did not look like they had been recopied; the hand was not Sesshomaru's now-familiar one, but a more feminine calligraphy of fine, wispy strokes.

The scroll was fading in places and the parchment had cracked; it was neither a legend nor a war story but it had some of the flavor of the _Songs of the Beginning _Sesshomaru had given to her that first day. Still, this writing was obviously not for children; it had all the attraction and holding power of the most fantastic myths in her experience.

Kagome had come to the Chronicle of the most ancient days of youkai history - the Days of Darkness.

_**Before youkai knew of anything but power, before we knew any language but violence, any speech but the scream of battle - those are the days we now call the Days of Darkness. Those were the days when the kami still walked among us, interfering in our lives, seeking worship and then retribution when we did not obey. Those were the days of war between youkai and kami, the days of greatest power and greatest strife.**_

_**They are gone now, those days, vanished into the past; even my grandsire did not remember them, and he has been dead for a thousand years. The legacy we carry with us from those days is the legacy of the Dragonlord, and now that the line of the House of Fire is broken, now that first has become last, that legacy must be committed to something more than my fragile memory.**_

_**The story of the Darkness is not a quiet story: in the beginning, there was only violence. But as the shattered world turned under the light of the sun and moon, something began to grow in that violence, stirred up now and again into a tempest of conflicts and Challenges. A demon's heart has always beat strongly, but in the Days of Darkness that beat was a steady drum pounding out the pulse of death; and the Dragon and the Inu, Ookami and Kitsune, Oni and Ayakashi, all moved to the rhythm and call of that same drum, and basked in the glory of Blood. **_

_**The kami moved among youkai, and saw the great violence that was done, from one kind to another and from one individual to another, and they were displeased; for they meant the great span of the world to be a land for men only, and the kami railed against the demons who tore the earth and riled the sea, exclaiming against them in the Celestial Kingdom and demanding that they cast themselves into the pit. **_

_**One by one, seeking an end to the conflict, the kami sent warriors down into the world to slay youkai without discrimination - but the warriors of the kami, though they themselves knew no fear, also could not awaken fear in a demon's heart. **_

_**Only wrath.**_

_**Under the pressure of that wrath the slow sprouting seed of the ages, the accumulated wisdom and instincts of thousands of seasons burst outward into a flowering of alliances. Among us came the subtle birth of a language that was more than the screech of battle in the ears, a language that could engage the heart, if not yet the mind. And in battles both furious and timeless, spanning ages beyond the perception of thought, the kami struggled, and our kin struggled, and no gain could be made by either side.**_

_**But a youkai heart, once awakened, is a great and terrible thing.**_

As if the words had some strange power over her thoughts, Kagome felt suddenly released, as though from a spell, by that single sentence.

_...a youkai heart, once awakened, is a great and terrible thing..._

She felt intimately connected to those words; they spoke volumes to her in their simplicity, outlining the difference of her new self from the old, limning it in darkness.

_I wonder what it was like for them, the demons of those days? To know nothing but fighting...and then, one day, to find speech, thoughts, compromise - _

Carefully, wary of this ancient scroll and its crumbling composition, Kagome unrolled another section, scanned it.

_What is this?_

It appeared to be a list of names, but they were unlike any names she had ever seen, and the reason was quickly made clear; they were the names of gods and demons, the names of the participants of great battles that had been fought beyond the ken of humankind. She was beginning to wonder, now, about what she had skimmed over earlier, the reference to Sesshomaru's father as _Godslayer_.

_Could he really have slain one of the kami? But all this stuff seems to be before his time, so...how?_

Swiftly, still carefully, Kagome rolled the scroll up again and reached for the next one, slid it out of its case and unrolled it more carefully still, wary this time of the inevitable dust. The characters at the top of the page continued the great list of names, and Kagome let her eyes scan downward until she came to something of interest.

..._**Omohi-kane no kami, who defeated Kenta, a lord among Kitsune...and Kouki, son of Kenta, who did himself defeat Omohi-kane no kami, earning for himself the name of Godslayer and a place among the mighty. **_

For a moment, Kagome paused - there it was again, that reference, that title - _Godslayer_.

_But this is talking about someone else, a Kitsune...not the Inu no Taisho. Hmm..._

She read on.

_**So it was that though many were slain, others achieved their vengeance, and time wore on and the battles between one youkai and another gave way, and ceased, and the great alliances became sturdy as the bamboo, to be bent but not broken. The battles between demon and god, youkai and celestial warrior, became the great test of every youkai soul, and there were no nights of silence, no hours that did not contain the sounds of battle and pain.**_

_**Then came Ryuunosuke, and with his rise everything changed. He was the one who would become the first Dragonlord, the son of an ancient Dragon out of the darkest of the Dark Days. His fangs were long, his claws were sharp, and his Sight was keen; he could see many things at a distance, and his far-reaching thoughts perceived the shadows of both deeds and intentions.**_

_**In battles great and small, he traveled, from the coasts of the islands to the great land in the West, and perhaps further. For a thousand years, he moved among foreign Bloodlines, seeking strange beasts and new powers. He encountered men and their civilization, and saw in them only a faint reflection of consciousness, but great potential. Nothing like their kind had yet been seen in this place. **_

_**When he returned, it was to find the ways he had left behind him unchanged. The same dark drumbeat still moved the hearts of all his kin, all of his kind, and for a time it moved him; for a time, a thousand years, he could not resist it. **_

_**But the land was finally changing. Men were come to the shores of the islands, men like those that are with us even now, and they were as little like the ape-cousins that we had known as they were like us. In fear and in awe of the power of our kind, they worshiped us, and we grew strong from sacrifices and the muttered faith of thousands. The kami, more displeased than they had ever been, redoubled their efforts to no avail.**_

_**We continued to watch over men, as one watches a pet that has been made out of prey; their petty quarrels, their flowering culture...but it was Ryuunosuke who watched their battles. **_

_**It was Ryuunosuke who saw that a youkai alliance was not the same as a human alliance - that not fighting one another was not the same as fighting together; it was Ryuunosuke, who learned from the example of the humans and their glut of warfare. A single warrior, however mighty, however proud, will fall eventually and with him fall all his hopes but that he may be avenged - but an army! The hope of an army is in its leader, yet when that leader is killed such hope can grow stronger; the banner may pass to other hands.**_

_**So it was with battle and wily words that Ryuunosuke sought leadership over the others of our kind. Many fought against him. Superior knowledge and greater strength supported his goal, and when at last he was victorious against the final Challenger, it was as if the thing that had become clear in that moment had always been clear: the Dragon is the lord of youkai; his nature is the possession of all other natures.**_

_**To be Dragon is to possess the hunting-consciousness of the Wolf and the Inu, the cunning of the Kitsune and the Nekomata, the monstrosity of the Oni...all and none belong to him, and he can draw upon their power at will. It is this unity that allows the Submission of a Dragon female, the gift of her change to match a mate of power.**_

Kagome stopped reading then and rubbed her eyes; they were gritty and sore. Despite this, she turned back to the words she had just gone over, read them again.

_...the gift of her change to match a mate of power._

"So _that's_...what he was talking about!"

Kagome leaned back in her chair, stretching her back, and then closed her eyes, pressed the heels of her palms against them. So many words...so much history! But she was pleased, because she had found her first clue, even if it had nothing to do with her presentation. It was nice to have an explanation that was - for once - not dependent on Sesshomaru's proclivity for the mysterious.

"A Dragon female, huh..."

And she thought over the words she had read, the revelations they contained - the tale they told about the nature of youkai, the origins of the demon-rhythm that beat like a _taiko_ in her breast. She thought of Sesshomaru, and what her thoughts implied about him, about the fire that must burn in him as in her, about the amount of effort he must expend to conceal that furious heat...and she heard his words in her thoughts, exact, down to the languid, possessive tone he had spoken in.

_"Beautiful Inu, you are mine now. Did you know that you are Inu, now, that the Dragon changed even as you changed?"_

She shivered, and then shook her head and returned to the scrolls - to the story of Ryuunosuke and the birth of the Youkai Army, the story of the victory that had won him the title _Dragonlord _and the submission of a thousand youkai clans to his claim as the Ryuu no Taisho_._

* * *

When there were only six days until the new moon, Kinawai made ready to leave Sesshomaru's fortress so that he could return with appropriate ceremony. He did not, however, plan on going without a few choice words. Sesshomaru stood by him with a suspicious expression, but when Kinawai spoke he could not help but listen.

"You told your visitors that it was by the old Rite you would present Kagome - tell me, does that mean you will summon your mother to bind her under the Ink?"

He grinned suddenly, as if with some secret amusement, but Sesshomaru was _not_ amused, and Kinawai could see it. Merely seeing it, however, was not enough for him to contain his curiosity.

"How do you think she will respond - your mother?"

"Haven't you meddled enough, Kinawai?"

Kinawai fixed him with a dangerous smile, and smoothed a wrinkle from the shoulder of his tunic. If Sesshomaru did not want to answer him...that was fine, for now. There were other questions he could ask that would be equally disturbing...and enlightening.

"No. Well...then tell me, how close are you to your miko, now, Sesshomaru?"

"How…_close_?"

But Sesshomaru knew exactly what Kinawai meant by his question - the _presence_ of Kagome that lived in the back of his thoughts now, his strange attunement to her feeling and her intent. He had thought that claiming her would ease the temptation of her presence, not expecting that it would grow, that he would want her near him, always near him, that he would feel…soft with her, that he would care for her. Though he had taken her, claimed her, he had not believed she could touch him – and she did more than touch him, she was wrapped around his soul.

For a moment of wide awareness, Sesshomaru searched Kinawai's face and kept his silence, thinking how strange and dangerous it must be for his friend. Was Kasuka in Kinawai's thoughts the way Kagome lived in him? What a trial - what a hell!

_But as for me..._

"Close enough, Kinawai, she is close enough."

And then his voice gained a sharper tone. Sesshomaru was more than tired of innuendo and cunning words; it was not his way.

"What more is it that you want from me?"

Kinawai responded quickly, his voice equally sharp.

"I want to know your definite plans. What are you going to do with her? The voices that question me, that is the answer they are really seeking, because they do not dare to come to you. Rumor frightens them with the possibilities, with the actions they may be _forced_ to take against you, and apparently _I_ am easier to approach."

Lazily, Kinawai smiled and spoke with raised eyebrows.

"You know you have to show her to them...why you had to Chase her, Sesshomaru, I can't understand -"

Sesshomaru growled, felt his hands tighten on empty air.

"Oh yes, you do. She moved, and I had to have her – and you knew it would happen. You _made _it happen! And it was you who _told_ me - "

Sesshomaru stopped, took a deep breath. Now was not the time to lose his temper.

"It was my intention to follow the Rite, to mark her under the Ink; I told my kin who visited as much. But she is not born to us and I have been thinking that it might…disturb her to be seen under the Ink by so many."

"Disturb her? You misjudge her, I think, but either way that is not the greatest concern. She is of no House, Sesshomaru, no Line that we can speak of, and you have taken her as mate, made her a great lady in one of the High Houses. How many females have you sent away, whose fathers and brothers might look at your new mate and be angry that their Blood was not good enough for you?"

Kinawai spoke with warning but Sesshomaru's words were keen enough to slice through his thoughts.

"You told me yourself, Kinawai, she is descended from the line of the Dragon-miko. In all truth, that means she belongs to _your_ House, the House of Fire. Or, she did. Now she is Inu, and mine – is there anything else that matters?"

Almost furious, Kinawai stepped closer and punctuated his words with dangerous gestures, his smile faded now, his face intense.

"Did you not hear me? You cannot tell the Council something like that!"

"I already have. At least, those who came."

For once, Kinawai was shocked into silence, and Sesshomaru took that silence as an invitation to elaborate.

"She did well, Kinawai; she showed them her power, and the one who dared to speak against her..."

Sesshomaru smiled thinly.

"I do not think he will do so again."

Kinawai tried to reassemble his shattered thoughts.

"By nature and training she is the enemy of our kind, even if now she _is_ our kind! No miko has ever been among the lords of Council; not one of the lords who sit at the Great Table has ever even _heard_ of - "

"There is Eldest."

Kinawai rolled his eyes heavenward.

"Eldest! She will not even cross their minds! The last Dragon-miko to mate a lord of High House was the mate of the last Dragonlord; do you mean to bring up the memory of those days? In power, in raw strength, you are unmatched by any of the Blood. I know it – and you know it, but even you could not win over them all!"

He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest, but the intensity did not leave his face.

"And tell me, Sesshomaru – did you just happen to _forget_ that by claiming Kagome, you have also claimed the shikon no tama?"

Sesshomaru gaped, all his masks swept aside by that simple statement. He had, indeed, forgotten - or rather, because he himself bore no desire for it, he had forgotten how much it sparkled in the avaricious eyes of others.

_I shouldn't have. Even Togusa - even the Bear asked after it - _

Kinawai caught at Sesshomaru's expression, at what it revealed, and reached out to hold his arm tightly.

"I have never seen you doubt yourself before, Sesshomaru! Is this something your miko has done to you?"

Sesshomaru turned away, his thoughts thick. The chances were good that Kinawai read the mood of the Council well – it was why he held the Calling Tone, why he was so seldom Challenged. His own concern over Kagome had distracted him so thoroughly that he had not stopped to think about the burden she carried, or what it might mean to the others. Many, many disturbing thoughts flickered in his head. His enemies would not sleep easy as long as that power was near his hands, but they knew nothing if they thought he could influence its use.

_Kagome is my mate, but I do not control her...or her power._

And to go back on his own words – to deny what he had already told his assembled kin and councilors-

Kinawai's voice continued to assault him.

"You cannot escape this, Sesshomaru. You are lord of the House of Blades; the Inu no Taisho was your father! You Chased your mate, and that is valid by tradition, but you do not know how little tradition means to some of those who watch you with dark eyes."

Sesshomaru growled, and the sound was deep and harsh, but Kinawai was not through.

"If you do not do it – if she is not strong enough to prove her power - they will Challenge her. They will Challenge her, and her right to mate into a High House...and she will have to fight, or she will die, and there will be nothing you can do about it."

For a long, quiet moment, Sesshomaru stood with his back turned, contemplating this, immersed in his own thoughts. The Rite itself was of no concern to him, just as he knew it would be of no concern to those who tried to force his hand. To trouble his mate would cost them in blood, and they would know it, despite the fact that he gained nothing by killing so many.

But to mark her under the Ink was to bind them irrevocably, and he could not shake himself of a troublesome worry. It was for Kagome, who did not yet even understand what it meant to be _mate_. And to do this...could he make that decision for her, his lighthearted miko? Could he make her, not light, but touched by darkness? Could he taint her forever with the soul of a killer that he knew he possessed?

_Can I – not?_

He swallowed thickly, so caught up in his thoughts that he did not see the uncomfortable expression on Kinawai's face. The Tiger lord did not understand what he could be thinking about, what could have led to this display of vulnerable emotions. Sesshomaru closed his eyes, and tried to disregard the irritation of his _feelings_.

_Kagome - will you forgive me?_

"Then Kagome will be marked with the burning Ink, according to the Rite. It was always my intention."

He paused, took a deep breath.

"I will find some females of my own kin to sit with her through the marking...perhaps Akira's daughters, or his mate."

He paused, and then smiled glitteringly. He had not thought about telling anyone his most secret intentions – he had not thought it wise. But now - he couldn't think of anything that would aggravate Kinawai more than to be let in on this particular secret.

"But there is...one other thing, Kinawai. When Kagome is marked, so, too, will be Rin; she is human, and she need not be marked with the Ink, but she is strong - she will survive it. I will give her a name, and hearth-rights; I will make her one of the House of Blades."

Kinawai stared at him, horrified.

"It is dangerous even to have her here; are you _mad_? You how little respect most youkai have for humans! The Council will say you profane a rite of the Blood – or they will laugh and ask if you have brought back the ritual sacrifice, as well as the Chase. If you try - "

Sesshomaru's face narrowed with anger and dismissive distaste.

"The sacrifice was a custom of the Dragonlord, not of _my_ House! I will draw the sting from those who have used her as an excuse to strike at me, and I think that if they are gathered in one place to watch, the death of one might cleanse the Challenge from the thoughts of many others – if there is even one who dares."

Kinawai smiled, but wariness remained pressed into the corners of his eyes.

"Now, the hunter speaks. But you must not forget, Sesshomaru, that while you think to take this _sting_ and cast it aside, your enemies carry a powerful venom."

Sesshomaru's eyes shone like new-struck steel, carried a flinty spark that waited for only the most casual breath to blow it into flame. In his mind's eye, it illuminated the shape of his father's bones, the ivory outline against a dead horizon.

"I? _I_ must not forget? I will _never_ forget. But _you_ are lord of the House of Fire; you hold the chain that binds the fangs of the Dragon dens. You are closer to the source of peril than I am..."

The malevolence that had brought his father's death was engraved in his memory as if by fire, a memory made not by witnessing events but by their endless repetition in story and witless taunts. He could almost see it - the woman and his infant brother, the scent of fire, a black cloud and the red-spurting darkness rearing its head into the night...and the cause of it all, the shadow of in the sky, Dragon shadows cast over the entire scene of ruin, carved into every wound on his father's body.

Kinawai reached forward, regretting his own barbed words, and held Sesshomaru's shoulder.

"Sesshomaru, do not forget – your father was my friend. It was I who gave you the vengeance you wanted, the deaths you sought in payment for his death."

Sesshomaru looked askance at him; there was a flicker of amusement in his gaze.

"_You _gave me my vengeance? No, Kinawai, you gave me _permission_. The deaths, I took for myself...the deaths, I would have taken either way. But, Kinawai -"

A sudden darkness had risen like the night in him, all-consuming, overwhelming. The thought of his father's death brought it on, or perhaps just the focus on the Dragon threat, perpetual, long silent...but awakening now, he could feel it. Feeling it, he was abruptly still, awakened by his own words to a possibility he had not yet considered.

_Closer to the source of peril than I am – Kinawai!_

Sesshomaru followed his thoughts backwards, toward a time when he had trodden on the edge of madness, the time before Kagome had been his, but after she had awakened.

_What was it? Peril! Peril is..._

There had been a day – the day he had brought Kagome into the library -

_The day Kinawai came! I brought Kagome to the library – I showed her the demon in her eyes – that day, I - I _

"Kinawai -"

_That day, I - !_

"Kinawai! The day you came to me – the very first day, the day you met Kagome. Kasuka was with you...that day."

Kinawai seemed to close in on himself; his expression became instantly, enormously wary.

"Yes..."

_Peril is Kasuka!_

Sesshomaru took three steps forward.

"What did she see, Kinawai? Did she see Kagome – did she see the human that she was?"

Kinawai shrugged, but it was far from an easy gesture. His movements, his features, had become tight with caution.

"I don't – I don't think..."

And then suddenly that tightness become complete laxity.

"Yes. She – yes, because...you..."

The scene flashed across Kinawai's thoughts with detail and accuracy – Sesshomaru, red-eyed, wild, bloodlust incarnate...and behind him, after a few, quiet moments, the movement of Kagome, soft and pretty, fragile...and human.

"Because you were mad with desire, Sesshomaru, and Kasuka wanted to know why. And then...and then came Kagome – I said to her, look, perhaps there is the reason. Sesshomaru -"

There was a flicker of anxiety on Kinawai's face, but it abated almost immediately; Sesshomaru's reaction was the last thing he expected.

_Laughter?_

"Sesshomaru..."

"And you did not believe she was my enemy...ah, but how could you? When you are such a good friend..."

Sesshomaru held up a hand, only smiling now, but Kinawai found himself with feelings of concern centered around that smile. It couldn't mean anything good.

"Kinawai, now I _know _that it was not you who carried the first word of rumor outwards – it was _her._

"I do not like - "

"The insinuation? Then tell me, Kinawai, who it was? My servants, the scentless, the invisible, the inaudible? Rin? Kagome, herself? Or are you going to tell me, after all, that it was you – that now, I can have no trust in you..."

And he fixed Kinawai with glowing golden eyes.

"That this very moment, you must die?"

Slowly, very slowly, Kinawai took a single step backward, did not release eye contact. His voice was low, but not placating; he had too much dignity for that.

"I will not tell you that; if I did, you would know it was a lie."

The threat that had shone so brightly in Sesshomaru's face for a moment winked out like starlight under the sun.

"You know, Sesshomaru, that I am bound to answer any threat, any dishonor done to my mate. Now especially, I know that you understand this!"

Sesshomaru was silent; Kinawai spoke with cold pride.

"If she truly has done this - "

Sesshomaru shook his head.

"I am warning you, not berating you, Kinawai. If she has done this – she _has_ done this, on her own initiative."

_Like other things_.

"You are my friend, Kinawai. My warning is so that you are not near her when there is backlash because her _rumor_ seems to be a lie; what do you think they will do to her, the ones who she first spoke to – the ones who know the origin of it all?"

_I am looking forward to it, Kinawai. I will cherish every wound that they inflict!_

But this time, he restrained his smile. Kinawai's face was stiff and still, his features utterly blank, a fragile mask. He could say nothing, not a denial or an angry word...because he knew in his bones that Sesshomaru spoke the truth. It did not bother him that his mate had acted without his knowledge; as long as she presented no direct threat to him she remained useful... so very useful. Through her, he could usually measure the pulse of danger that was the heartbeat of the Dragon clans, although lately she had not been nearby for him to observe.

_And the rumors from the north...they are disturbing. _

It was a scowl that finally broke through the mask over his features. Sesshomaru watched this with interest, but Kinawai was intent on his own thoughts.

_Kasuka! Is it you, stirring up trouble? Why would that be - why now? Because Sesshomaru has taken a mate, because you cannot let go of your grievance? Is it Kagome's place you wish to stand in, still, after so many years? I should be insulted._

"Sesshomaru, it is time I am gone; I have work to do, and there are only a few days before I have to return here."

Sesshomaru eyed him carefully, but nodded, and accompanied him to the gate. Halfway there, Kinawai had recovered enough to continue his questions, but they were less volatile; he sounded much chastened.

"Your kin are coming -"

"The day before the new moon; the full Council should be here by nightfall the next day."

Just as Kinawai was running through the Gate, Sesshomaru heard his voice come back at him.

"Give your mother my greetings, Sesshomaru...if you see her!"

"Kinawai!"

As he stood at the gate, watching the Tiger lord disappear, he could have sworn he heard laughter, riding back on the wind to taunt him.

* * *

A/N: Mwaha! I told you there was not much left til the next chapter was done...but I owe you guys for being slow with the last chapter. Blame it on spring break...I intended to write some, but then I slept instead. I really, _really _like sleep. It's...the eighth? most awesome thing ever! So – we are now at T minus 6 days until Kagome's presentation – in the next chapter, we will finally have Miroku, Sango, and Sesshomaru's mother – any ideas for a name for her are welcome, guys, because every one I've thought of so far has been lame – (WHY doesn't anyone's parent get a name in Inuyasha, holy demons!)! We may also squeeze in some more Rin and Shippou...because all those lovely pictures have to be delivered! And Sesshomaru, with his bonding crisis, may actually decide to TELL KAGOME SOMETHING...or not. Hehe. Anyway, me = ridiculous evil plots, you = PLEASE REVIEW! I mean, seriously...is it that hard? Many, many people are reading, but so few review!

Would it help if I threatened to name Sesshomaru's mother Ignatius? :D Anyway...for those who did review, much thanks!

Clara954: Ahh Kouga...poor Kouga. I don't think he'll be evil, that wouldn't be fair...but man does he need a kick in the head! As far as Tenseiga goes...we'll see. Hehe. That silly little sword is going to save Sesshomaru's ass one of these days, mark my words...

Doll-Face.19: Much thanks! Hopefully you will continue to enjoy! :D

Time on my hands: much thanks for your hearty compliments! I try to make things canon as much as possible, because otherwise...well, it wouldn't be fanfiction, right? No point in using the characters if they aren't believable; I'm actually really hoping that _this_ chapter in particular doesn't go too far outside the box - I have a love affair with creating a mythic history that's more than just a single name! I mean, seriously...Inu no Taisho - Great Dog General...of what? Since when? And how come? :D Loving it...

AMUTOLOVER09: So does this mean that if Kouga dies, I have to move to a bunker? I suppose as long as it has electricity...ha! I'm actually having a great deal of fun with the Saga Of Kouga Who Must Grow A Brain. He would have been a way more likable character if he had been more intelligent, but then I suppose he would have actually won Kagome and the name of the show would've had to be changed...poor Inuyasha.

Okay! So...onward to Ignatius! (just kidding! but seriously...names! Ahh!)

Final Revisions...Complete! Holy monkeys, I need a sandwich. Sandwiches are...awesome. :D R&R!


	26. XXVI: Strange Relations

XXVI.

Strange Relations

* * *

The fortress grounds were lit with all the bright sharpness of an autumn afternoon, clear sunlight and cloudless navy-tinted skies. There were only two days left now until the new moon, and Sesshomaru's kin were expected to arrive the next day. Kagome had first been terrified, and then only very afraid - although if she dwelled on it, she was liable to become shaky under the influence of the thoughts running through her head. Not only the few Inu lords she had met would be coming, but their families - mates and children, brothers and sisters, parents and cousins - and many others who could claim blood ties to Sesshomaru and the House of Blades.

He expected fifty or more to be in attendance, and that was only his own kin, not the full Council she had been told would be arriving for the presentation itself.

Since Inuyasha had been buried, Kagome had not slept well - and with this new pressure on her and the wakeful tendencies of her demon flesh, it was even harder for her to get any rest. When they had first returned to the fortress, Sesshomaru had stayed with her in the evenings and while he was there she could rest peacefully - but for the last three days she didn't think he had slept at all, either. Their bed was empty and cold, and she, who had been so embarrassed to wake up beside him, had found suddenly that it was lonely under all those furs...very lonely.

Nightmares had woken her the first night, and she had been unwilling to try sleeping alone again. Her unfinished reading beckoned, a stack of scrolls that was still two feet high, and so she had secreted herself in the library. No one disturbed her but Shippou and the silent hands that refilled her cup of tea - not even Sesshomaru had come to find her, though she was certain he knew where she was.

After Shippou poked his nose around the door a few times, she was positive that he wanted _something_, but he ignored her questions and only came in to sit with her for a minute or two at a time. There was faint whispering outside the library door whenever this happened, and she identified Rin's voice and scent along with Shippou's, but the children did not intrude on her study any more than that. Each time, she had turned back to her reading, but after several nights and days of this Kagome had pushed her limits as far as they would go.

In the dim shadows of the library, she fell asleep without intending to. The room around her was dark and chilly. Heavy curtains had been drawn across the windows and no fire had been lit, no candles. Her dreams, too, were dark, shaded by the reading she had done and the most recent events of her life...and by the premonition of fear that was her mysterious presentation.

In her dream there was a princess in a tall tower, hard-eyed, her features shadowed, her hair blowing in the wind. She fell and died and did not bleed, but shattered instead, and the shards of her scattered body were consumed in sudden flame.

There was a prince who climbed the tower seeking her, his eyes bright shining gold, only to fall back blind, clawing at them as the color faded into darkness and a cloudy swirl as deep as the sea. Murderous blue shadows claimed his face, and even in the dream Kagome knew that those shadows had taken everything, everything - this was a prince without a kingdom, a prince without even a sword. The prince was a monster with death steeped in layers over the shadows of his eyes.

It was too painful to watch. She turned away, and heard a voice calling her, a richly familiar voice in tones of pain. In that moment Kagome realized that _she_ was the princess, magically reformed from burnt and shattered flesh. She stared at her own fingers and they were like the fingers of a stranger, unfeeling flesh with a plastic texture. She was in the tower, and it was a richly appointed room...but there was no door.

_Trapped!_

Shuddering, she turned her eyes away from her surroundings and looked down from the tower's single, high window. It was like looking into the abyss.

There were wars beneath her, battlefields with all their gore and glory intact; she heard the screams of the dead and the dying, challenges, shrieks of fury and cries of unfathomable despair. A great, glittering dragon winged its way out of the northern sky with an icy wind behind it, and settled around the base of the tower, opening its wide, fanged mouth towards her in a virulent scream. None of those who cried for or against compassion could reach her over the dragon's roar, but that single, familiar voice still called out, piercing the clamor.

"Kagome, Kagome, let down your hair!"

They were senseless words, fairy-tale words in the midst of horror, but she pressed forward anyway and let her hair spill down over the window-ledge, one long, thin plait that somehow unrolled endlessly towards the dragon beneath the tower. In the same moment Kagome heard a hiss from behind her, and a female shape materialized as if from smoke. It became a slender witch-figure with eyes full of madness and green hair that writhed like snakes; she grasped the braid and pulled Kagome's head back and back until she thought her neck would snap, and Kagome found herself unable to make a sound.

For a moment that extended, she could feel the scream trapped in her throat, and then her attention was distracted. Her own image was suspended in front of her, a faint reflection distorted as if by crystal, or moving water. She felt sudden pressure, pressure on all sides, so much that she could barely breathe, and the witch-figure chose that moment to slit her bared throat.

She felt the thin, sharp pain of the blade against her skin, razor-sharp, searing, and then it seemed no more than a paper cut, a whisper, though she felt the draining flow of her life's blood running warm over her chest.

"_Kagome_."

- but the tower was falling out from beneath her -

"Kagome_._"

- and the world was flying apart into jagged shards of darkness -

"Kagome!"

It was not the urgency of Sesshomaru's voice but his hands, finally, shaking her, that woke Kagome from the nap she had not planned to take. She woke completely, abruptly, gasping as Sesshomaru shook her; his hands were tight on her shoulders, painfully so, but when he saw that her eyes were open he let go at once. There was something flat and haunted in her gaze in that first startled moment of wakefulness, something he found vaguely unsettling.

"You were dreaming, Kagome. "

"Dreaming - "

She was moving, not with the dull sleepiness of someone who has just been wakened, but with a kind of jerky alertness. Sesshomaru watched her hand come up and touch her throat, delicately, as if she expected to find something there.

She _did_ expect to find something; she expected her throat to be cut! The dream had been too real, was still too vividly impressed on her senses. In an unusual gesture Kagome reached for Sesshomaru's sleeve and pulled him close to her, pressed her cheek against him and held him tightly. He was warm, solid – _real_. The pine-musky scent of him was soothing; she took slow, deep breaths and wondered how long he would allow her to hold on.

Sesshomaru stood very still, almost frozen. It was not often that she took the initiative and reached out for him in such a way. He did not know if it was because of him, something in his manner, that she was reluctant...or if something in her own thoughts had caused it. He had found himself remembering his first two or three days with her almost longingly; not the days before she had been wounded, or the days after her long sleep...but the days just after he had made her his. So easy and warm she'd been with him then!

_Kagome..._

He looked down at the top of her head, her tightly shut eyes, and allowed himself to be pleased by her closeness. Time, he had thought - time would bring her back to him.

_I was right_.

He held her very gently at first, afraid that if he made her too much aware of what she was doing, she might back away; it had happened before. But after half a minute he could not keep that fragile resolve. Her strange confusion, her vulnerable expression, drew him in; there were fiercely protective feelings bubbling just beneath the surface, and those feelings demanded that he hold her more tightly. When he realized what he was doing, he almost let go - before he heard the smallest of sighs escape her, and was gratified by the relaxation of her body into his grasp.

Kagome was content in his crushing embrace; unless it was the sleepiness - and she did not think it was - she had seen concern on his face, open and distinct. It made her think, made her feel warm. Yes, he had told her that he cared and she knew that he had not been lying, but it had been hard for to believe him even so. After all, he was Sesshomaru! Part of her still suspected that he couldn't possibly understand what it really meant to care; she could still see the quizzical expression on his face, hear the strangeness of his question - _What is love?_

In moments like this, though, when he looked at her in such a way, when he held her so fiercely...

She rubbed her cheek against the softness of his haori, and then turned as a sliver of pale sunlight widened and began to brighten the room. An invisible pair of hands was pulling back the curtains, and shortly she could look out at the eastern gardens and the edge of an orchard she had not yet explored. She shifted in her chair, and then Sesshomaru had to pull on her to keep her from falling as she leapt backwards.

"Kagome!"

She shuddered and pressed her face back against his chest. The angle of the sun had caught her off guard, allowing her a glimpse of her own reflection in the window, and she had been suddenly filled with the memory of her dream.

"Kagome, something has disturbed you. You will tell me what it is."

His voice, cool and commanding, was somehow as comforting as his arms around her.

_Of course he wouldn't _ask_!_

The faintest of giggles escaped her, and then she shook her head, reached up with one hand and ran her fingers over the unmarred smoothness of her throat.

"I was -"

She stopped. The words were not right.

"My dream, it - frightened me."

Sesshomaru fixed her with an intense gaze. His eyes flickered in the sunlight, from tawny yellow to brilliant gold. For a moment she was fascinated by the color, fixated on it, and then she averted her gaze. When she said nothing more, Sesshomaru prompted her gently.

"Your dream, Kagome?"

Slowly, she nodded.

"But - you jumped _now_, not while you were sleeping."

Her eyes slid upwards and settled around his mouth; it was safer than meeting that probing stare, those eyes.

"When I turned, I caught sight of my reflection in the window pane. It - in the dream, I - I was -"

The intensity of his gaze had disintegrated into something like disbelief.

"You were frightened by your own reflection? Even for you - "

"What do you mean, even for me? You - ! "

She made as if to punch him halfheartedly, but he caught hold of her hands and lifted her up, drew her close again.

"I should not tease you now; forgive me, Kagome. But I do not understand; how could you find your reflection -"

"It wasn't the reflection! It was -"

She stopped herself and continued with quieter words.

"It was not a very nice dream. I don't want to think about it."

"Tell me."

A deeper, more serious tone had come out in Sesshomaru's voice, but Kagome shook her head.

"Didn't I just say I don't want to think about it? Please, I'd rather - "

"Tell me, so you can forget."

Her anger dissolved away; the worry was back in his face, and she couldn't bring herself to deny him when he was looking down at her with such obvious concern.

_Though why, I can't guess...it's just a dream, I mean...really! _

"I remember...a tower, and seeing - kami-sama, seeing Kikyou! She fell, and then there was a prince...Inuyasha. It was Inuyasha. But there was something strange about it all, something detached, like a story out of a book, just...unreal. And then I was in the tower, looking down into darkness, terrible darkness, and someone was screaming...and a dragon, a dragon wrapped around the tower, roaring, and so many voices -"

Kagome shuddered, felt a creeping chill seize the roots of her hair and slink down her spine.

"And then there was a woman, a beautiful woman but absolutely terrifying, and she pulled my head back, and - and -"

Her fingers had come up to clasp her throat. She could _feel_ it - the cut, the warm, pouring blood.

"And then I saw it - my reflection, hovering - and then she slit my throat. The woman - the witch."

Her eyes raked his features; all the wary tension that had dissolved away was restoring itself now, and she could feel his fingers, his claws, tightening against her skin.

"Who was this _witch_? Was she human, someone you know?"

Kagome shrugged, shook her head.

"I don't know her, I've never seen her before. And I don't know...I don't _think_ she was human, but why does it matter, Sesshomaru? It was just a dream."

"Yes...but I do not like that you are sleeping so unhappily, Kagome. You have not been yourself for several days - not since..."

He paused and took a step back, held her at arms length.

"Not since I brought you before the others; not since you wounded the Kitsune."

Kagome was confused; Sesshomaru was staring at her now with the strangest expression she had yet seen; he looked...almost _guilty_.

"Sesshomaru..."

"I should have realized that it would trouble you, that you were not really -"

"Sesshomaru -"

"When you healed him, I should have known that - "

"Sesshomaru! _What_ are you talking about?"

The force of her question and her obvious, honest confusion halted his thoughts.

"What am I...then it is not the violence you did against Yozei that has been bothering you?"

Kagome's eyes widened a little with real surprise. _That _was something she had not even considered.

"I don't - I don't know. I've seen enough youkai to know what was expected of me...and I'm not...I'm not _innocent,_ Sesshomaru, if that's what's worrying you."

"No...not innocent -"

He was suddenly smiling, and she knew what he was thinking; it made her angry.

"No! Sesshomaru - I've killed. I've killed many, many times...many youkai, even a few humans – and I'm responsible for more lost lives than I've taken with my bow, I know I am..."

_I was the one who shattered the jewel, after all. _

But she did not, could not, give voice to that thought, and brought herself back to his question.

"So why are you so surprised that I could...that I _would_ hurt him, when he was threatening me - when he was threatening _us_? Why would that _bother _me more than anything else?"

Sesshomaru's eyebrows lifted. What she said was true; he could not deny it. The time when she had been among his brother's allies, when she and her power had been arrayed against him, was still the recent past. Her protective instincts had been strong even then; foolishly strong, considering the frail nature of that human body.

_But now - _

Her own words both interrupted and continued his train of thought.

"I know I can't go back; I know I am youkai. But I've been wondering ever since I woke up and I was here - Sesshomaru, what exactly do you want from me? Why am I here? What...what am I supposed to _do_?"

Confusion moved faintly in his eyes, and she sighed before he even spoke; she knew what his answer was likely to be – he had said it before, after all.

"Why are you - here? You are here because you are -"

"Because I am yours? But that is not enough, Sesshomaru, that is not a reason!"

Once, twice, he blinked.

"That is not - then tell me, Kagome, what _is_ a reason?"

"Wha - "

For a moment, her face went utterly blank.

"How can...how can you not know that! You _brought _me here, you saved me, you changed me...you..."

Her cheeks flushed and she fell momentarily silent, but her question still had not been answered.

"Sesshomaru! Tell me, how could you have done all that without a reason?"

Sesshomaru shook his head.

"I thought I did have - but your idea of _reason_ must be vastly different from mine, Kagome. That you are mine...that is all the reason I have needed since I found you to -"

"Since you found me? But I wasn't yours then, I was - "

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, expecting a painful reminder, but it never came.

"I was no one's, no one's at all. I was just...wandering, looking for some way to lose myself. If you really want to know, Sesshomaru, when I saw that it was _you_ who had found me -"

"Yes - I found you, Kagome. I found you, and from that moment on, you were mine. I thought long and hard while you slept, those many days; do you _really _think I would have brought you here, done all that I have done, without knowing why? I would have killed you first, rather than act without reason."

Kagome took a deep breath and let it out slowly; his words were harsh but she couldn't say that she hadn't expected them.

_You're telling me that I know, aren't you? You just...don't want to say it again. I know your reason, Sesshomaru, I know what you said, but even if you don't want to say it I want_ _to _hear_ it again._

"You should know, Kagome. I told you – I _asked_ you -"

She laughed, faintly, to hear his words so much in accord with what she had expected. Perhaps she _was_ beginning to know him, even if just a little. Still...

_If he would say it again, maybe I could believe him._

More than anything else, she wanted to be loved – and if it not by him...then by who? But Sesshomaru paused and looked out the window, distracted in the middle of his sentence by something beyond Kagome's senses.

"Sesshomaru?"

For the first time since he had woken her he let go of her and stepped away. With swift, efficient movements he crossed the room to the window and opened it. A faint breeze fluttered the papers and scrolls on the desk beside Kagome.

"Someone is coming towards the gate."

She stared at him for a moment.

"What? But – you said – tomorrow - "

For a moment she was enveloped by terror. Her thoughts had immediately jumped to the guests expected the next day; early arrivals, she didn't think she could deal with.

"Kagome! Relax. Stay here, quietly; read if you like, but do not go back to sleep yet."

He turned on his heel and strode to the door, and then stopped to look back at her over his shoulder.

"You are too pale; you have not been eating. I will send something up for you."

As the door clicked shut behind him, Kagome let out a long sigh and relaxed backward into her chair. Now that he had mentioned it, she could feel a gnawing hunger in her belly; her tongue touched her teeth, the sharp points of her fangs, and then she let out another deep sigh. So different, everything was so different now...

_And Sesshomaru! What do I do about him, about his – his _feelings_! I can't say anything, and he wants...what does he want? He asked me what it meant to love, and then took back his question; he acts like I should know all these things, and he doesn't show me any of it! Except...except I know he wants me, and he says...he _said _that he cares. I should believe him – I do believe him – but I - I don't know what _I _feel._

"I wish I knew what to do, I wish...ahh..."

Kagome leaned forward, rested her chin on her hands, and stared glumly at the grain of the wood in the desk in front of her eyes.

"I never understand _anything_ he does! But I wonder...who is at the gate?"

* * *

Sesshomaru made his way to the top of the great Wall that encircled his fortress, gathering a train of silent followers behind him. From where he had positioned himself he could see clearly across the meadow and plains and not be seen, even by watchful youkai eyes.

His attention was on a slim, pale figure who was approaching with studied nonchalance; its outline was familiar to him, and as if to mock his scowling conclusion, the wind chose that moment to bring him a scent that contained clear identity.

_Mother!_

Even at her current pace, mockingly slow, she would reach the Gate before he had time to think; it was immediately obvious that she had come from her retreat in the furthest west with the wind in front of her, so that it would not give away her presence before she was ready. The fact that he was aware of her now, before she had reached the gate unnoticed as she intended, was a mercy – one afforded him by the strangeness of the protections that engulfed this place. Power slept in the walls, in the stones, in the earth itself, power that was bonded to him, as it had been bonded to his father. His mother's footsteps stirred unnatural currents, sent them trickling into his awareness like ghostly streams.

_She comes, but not at my summons; that much is obvious. If it was in answer to my call, my messengers, she would have come with an entourage, with ceremony. What does she want, what does she mean by it...arriving this way?_

As much as he wanted to know, he was not certain he would find out. She was as good at keeping her motives secret as he was, if not better; after all, she was the one who had taught him. It was one of the things his father had not liked, one of the reasons why he had allowed his first-born son to spend only the winters with his mother – after she had left the two of them here in the white-walled fortress, preferring her palace retreat.

_She never liked it here; too much stone, too many sharp corners, she said...and yet she is come early – why?_

The answer came to him as if it had been lurking in wait just for this moment.

_Kagome! She does not know the truth; she is here to test the rumors, to test – Kagome!_

In his mind's eye he could see his mate, pale and fragile in the aftermath of her dream – a dream that disturbed him greatly. Kinawai's warnings of wakeful danger in the north were still ringing in his ears; Kagome dreamed of dragons and witch-women with deadly intentions, and now...his mother, come to test his mate.

_It is her right to do so. Before the Rite, she is still Lady of this House. She may examine the worth of the one who seeks to replace her, but I-_

A cold fist tightened in his belly; what had he been doing? He had given Kagome no warning; she had not eaten or slept in three days and instead of training her instincts, teaching her to defend herself -

_Records! As much as she needs the knowledge, it will not help her now!_

The chill in the pit of his of stomach became heat, anxious fire that sent tendrils out into his limbs and made him restless. He turned, a sharp, tight motion, and began the descent from the Wall-top to the courtyards below. He spoke to the silence around him, which was loud in its gathered presence.

"Go to my mate and ready her; it is my mother who comes."

In a moment, he was alone. Quickly, he made his way to the gate, and stood for a silent moment, preparing himself. This female, his mother, was one of the most dangerous creatures alive. It would not do to forget that. He, too, was _most dangerous –_but she was, after all, his mother.

_I do not want to kill her, but I am sure I will not approve of her intentions._

With one hand, he reached out to the gate, and opened it, and in that moment several things happened.

His mother, who had come close enough to see him clearly, standing in the opened gate, showed an expression that flashed quickly from amused, to amazed, to furious. Simultaneously, there was a streak of fire overhead, and Sesshomaru heard a loud _haiii-yo! _in a woman's voice that he recognized. The flames came from Kirara, the fire-cat who belonged to Kagome's friends...and the her burden was all too human.

_Now! Why now?_

In a flash, he understood his mother's shifting face. Of course, she, too, had seen what he had seen – and he could imagine how it must seem to her in the face of those dangerous rumors. There was a rush of wind as Kirara landed ten paces in front of him and the shape outlined in dangerous and flickering fire faded, left behind only a kitten in the woman's hands.

_What is her name, this woman?_

He couldn't remember; it didn't matter. His voice came out harsher than he intended, its edges worn to cutting sharpness by the tightness of his nerves.

"Taijiya. Houshi. Why have you come here?"

The woman had been on the verge of taking a step forward, bu now she shrank bank from him, her fingers twitching as if for a weapon. He found her distrust reassuring in a vague, unfulfilling way, but he did not desire to frighten her. Was his question that strange? He did not find it so; this place was not known to them, had not been known even to his brother.

Or did she see challenge in his words, because he called her by her trade-title and not by name? That would be irritating, because her name continued to escape him, but the houshi saved him from having to ask it of her and at the same time reinforced his perception.

"Sango, don't get tense like that! Remember what we're here for! He's not going to hurt us."

Perhaps the houshi was speaking under the assumption that his whisper would be missed by Sesshomaru's ears; if so, he was sadly mistaken. Still, he said nothing about which he need be worried, and as his words both relaxed the woman at his side and gave Sesshomaru a less provocative means of address, he could not complain.

"Houshi, I do not know how you found this place -"

Sango spoke up, unwilling to play at submission or silence.

"Kagome told us she – you – lived in a fortress surrounded by a white stone wall, and Kirara followed her scent here."

Sesshomaru's eyes were drawn involuntarily downward to the twin-tailed kitten balanced on her palms. Kirara let out a faint _mew_.

"I...see."

He was unavoidably distracted. He could no longer hear his mother's steps; she had vanished from his view of the plains behind the two humans, and her scent was all around him now. It could not give him a direction for her presence.

"Regardless of how you came here, now is not the time for -"

But it was too late. One moment, there was the _nothing_ that had so distracted him - and in the next he could see the reflection of his mother's figure in the eyes of the houshi and his woman, _feel_ her presence as she leaned over his shoulder. Her breathing disturbed his hair and was uncomfortably moist against the side of his face.

It took an extra moment for the two humans to gasp and realize that the female who had appeared so suddenly beside their reluctant host was not Kagome. She had the same coloring of eyes and hair, the same dark youkai presence – but her hair was bound up in an outlandish fashion and her features were totally unfamiliar. Miroku, testing her presence with invisible senses, found power but not the warmth of a miko, and took a step back. Definitely, this was not Kagome!

Whens he spoke, her voice came out cold, a sarcastic drawl, and all the tension that had begun to dissipate from Sango's countenance returned at the sound of it.

"Fighting already, Sesshomaru? New mates shouldn't behave in such a way; it is not becoming."

In the space of a moment, with such speed that Miroku and Sango were left blinking in surprise, Sesshomaru turned and confronted his mother with sarcastic words of his own.

"Don't be more foolish than you can help, mother. New mates – what does that mean, when you have yet to see me with the female I have chosen?"

She was brought up short by his unforced calm, as he had intended. Sesshomaru allowed the faintest snarl to lift his lip and showed the point of one gleaming fang.

"Or were you deceived by rumor, mother? Were you, too, stupid enough to believe that I would claim a human as my own?"

She eyed him carefully; this was not the attitude she had expected of him. If she was truthful, she _had_ believed the rumor; he had been carrying around that human girl-child for far too long, and it had even occurred to her that the child herself might be the one he had chosen for a mate. She had not thought humans grew so quickly, but now it seemed that she need not have worried. Although -

"Do not call your mother stupid, Sesshomaru. It is not polite. But if this _woman_ is not your mate, then where is she?"

_And who is she _- that question, too, was in his mother's voice, but she did not say so it in so many words. Sesshomaru gave her a hard stare; he did not like her curiosity, he did not like her _presence – _he did not like this pair of humans who stood by, watching with wide-eyes and half-open mouths. His mother seemed to sense his dissatisfaction, and smiled at it.

"Surely it is not to much to ask that I be greeted respectfully by the one who seeks to take my place? Why is she not here with you, Sesshomaru?"

Her voice grated on his ears, and he made his decision before she had finished speaking.

"You were not expected until tomorrow, mother. You knew this; do not pretend. I will make some arrangement; Kagome readies herself to meet you even now. Wait in the northern garden, I am sure you know your way. But the two of _you_ -"

He turned to face Sango and Miroku, and the two of them seemed to tremble.

"I will bring you to Kagome, and then you must leave this place. It is not safe for humans; she should never have told you to come here."

The woman stiffened, but the houshi beside her held out a restraining hand and assumed a neutral expression.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-dono. It was not our intention to intrude."

Sesshomaru stared for a moment longer, and then inclined his head in the barest of nods.

"Come with me now."

He started towards the door, and they were close behind him. Ignored, Sesshomaru' mother let out a near-inaudible _hmph_ of disgust and, notwithstanding, began to make her way towards the crushed-stone path that led to the northern side of the fortress.

But they all stopped and looked up as a bright voice called down from a high window.

"Sango! Miroku!"

* * *

A/N: And the long drought of chapters is over! I do apologize, but it was really unavoidable; I've written...three exams, a thesis, a research paper, and a short story for a contest in the last several weeks – finals coming up, so I'm doomed, you see. But the good news is that there are only three weeks left to the semester, and I will have considerably more free time over the summer! Anyway, the chapter! Finally, Sesshomaru's dear mother makes her appearance; yes, she does have a name – no, it is NOT Ignatius, though I was sorely tempted. Heh. And Sango and Miroku are back! With impeccably bad timing, aha! So let's see...coming soon...Mommy Meets Mate=Doom For Sesshomaru...but also some good stuff. Umm...oh! And I haven't forgotten about Rin and Shippou, they (and their project) may pop up in the next chapter as well, if there is time. And remember: T minus 2 days til Kagome's presentation! Now, reviews!

Avarenda: Inu Mommy makes her appearance in this chapter, but just wait - next chapter she'll meet Kagome, and they'll have...fun? HA!

Kouga's Older Woman: Yes! Tattoos for everyone! Ha, no, but seriously, I'm going to have fun with that. Rin is going to surprise all those youkai, that's for sure! I did finally pick a name for Sesshomaru's mom, but you'll have to wait for next chapter to see what it is. She has to give her formal introduction, after all. Haha. Ha. Ha. :D

clara954: Ha! Right, Kagome can't die or there's no story left! That would such a let down. But as far as Sesshomaru and the shikon no tama goes, remember - Kagome is his. And that means that in a very real way, anything which is hers is his...right? Haha. But he has never had any interest in such power, so I don't think he really cares too much.

Doll-Face.19: much thanks! please continue to enjoy!

AMUTOLOVER09: You suggested! You're awesome! And since you suggested, I will hint unto you that I did indeed use one of your suggestions, albeit slightly modified. One of my favorites, actually, it was on my list too. I must apologize, though, cause I think this was the slowest chapter yet...DAMN SCHOOL for taking away time from more important things! (OH! In Winds, one of my other fics, I am actually naming Inu-mama Rin - because of the different Kanji's you know, and because its...just...PERFECT! Heh.)

LadyNica: Holy wow! All at once? Much thanks!

Cassie Carlyle: Now lets see...you are reviews for the first four chapters, so it may take a while for you to catch up, but I still must thank you! Multiples of reviews are like reviews, but better - because multiple! :D Let me know if you like the rest!

lunarcat12: I only said Ignatius because it was the most ridiculous possible name; like I would really do that! Poor Inu-mama, NOBODY would take her seriously! I'm glad people seem to like Kagome's reading material - I was worried it might be boring, so yay! And Rin...Ah Rin. Backlash or not, Sesshomaru's going to do what he wants to do, because...he's Sesshomaru! It's a fun scene to write though, I can tell you that!

Carpathian She Wolf: Ah, you are a chapter 7 review! Sesshomaru is fighting himself, you see - and mostly failing. Mostly his problem is being unsure, and in denial, and labeling Kagome as Inuyasha's woman is the last thing he can do to keep himself away. (I'll tell you a secret though, it doesn't work! :D) Please let me know how you enjoy the rest of the story!

angelapage: Well, thank you! :D Sesshomaru will do what he always does, of course (perhaps I should caps this - ) KILL ALL WHO DEFY HIM! _(that was fun). And Kagome...Kagome still needs to figure out exactly what's going on, a little at a time. Sesshomaru will help her with that, eventually - and someone...unexpected (by everyone!). :D_

Nikki81977: Kagome is sort of doomed, isn't she? In fact, in the next chapter, she is going to make exactly that observation about herself! Ha! Because you know...eventually she has to notice that she just has no luck whatsoever...with anything. And especially not guys! Well, now she's okay, because Sesshomaru has claimed her and she's not really getting out of that (she doesn't want to. who would?) And as to women killing her off...aha. AHA! That's just the greatest review...because...well, because! Just wait and see! :D

OK! As far as I know, that's all of you; next chapter, I'm going to post a list in thanks of all those who have story-alerted or fav'd; you know I wish everyone would review (like that's ever going to happen) but there are indeed other positive buttons to click, and so those persons must be thanked too!

PLEASE REVIEW!

Final Revisions, complete! Not much to do for this chapter actually...that's...good! :D R&R!


	27. XXVII: Comes The Inquisitor

XXVII.

Comes The Inquisitor

* * *

Sesshomaru had been gone for less than five minutes when a whirlwind came bursting through the door of the library. It enveloped Kagome in a rush of activity, and suddenly she found herself being simultaneously stripped and brushed and pinned and then re-dressed almost before she could figure out what was going on.

"Wha – what! Hey!"

The whirlwind continued without paying her any mind. After a minute or so, the fury died down and she discovered that the robes she was now wearing were both beautifully dyed and elegantly embroidered. Their cut and style was more formal than anything she had worn so far. If she had known who her unexpected visitor was, she might have taken more meaning from their color and design. She had read of the High Houses, and the colors and crests that had once been born by the warriors of ancient days. She knew for a fact that Sesshomaru was always pleased to see her in his own colors; when she chose them for herself, for no particular reason, she was _almost_ convinced that there was tenderness in his eyes when he looked at her.

This time, though, the hands she could not see had dressed her in Dragon-red and gold, layers of embroidered silk that she was sure no human could have walked in, they were that heavy. She blew a breath towards the veil that had been drawn across her face, and sighed; whoever it was that had showed up, obviously Sesshomaru was concerned that she present herself well – or why else the clothes?

_And he said to relax, but I don't know..._

Behind her, the doors opened again and she whirled to face...no one. A heavy, covered platter approached her slowly and slid onto the table, but before it could be uncovered she was distracted by a pair of scents that she actually knew.

_Sango! Miroku! I didn't think they would come so soon -_

But she realized as she thought it that she had not even mentioned to Sesshomaru that she had told them where she lived now – where _they_ lived.

_Oh no..._

She didn't think he would _hurt_ them, but he was scary without trying and they might not know they had nothing to fear. She did not consider that they might not be the only visitors – did not consider that Sesshomaru would never have dressed her so for them, or responded with worry to the presence of her human friends. The sound of low voices, two of which were very familiar, reached her ears – and she smiled a little and hurried to the window, leaned out to call down to them.

"Sango! Miroku!"

She saw them beneath her, standing behind Sesshomaru, and lifted one hand from the ledge outside the window to wave at them. Immediately, she knew it had been a bad idea.

She still didn't know her own strength. Her fingers tightened on the ledge outside the window to support her weight, but instead crumbled the corner off of the soft molding stone. She felt it disintegrate into dust in her grasp, and at the same moment felt herself toppling forward. As it happened, she almost let out a sigh of resignation. What had she been thinking? Could she, Kagome, do _anything at all_ without it ending in the worst possible way?

_No. No, of course not -_

She tried, but there was no stopping, no leaning back. As if in slow motion, she fell head over heels out the library window.

She heard both Sango and Miroku give a shout of dismay, and heard their rushing footsteps – and then a strange thing happened. Though her eyes were closed, Kagome found that she still _knew_ where the ground was; how far away, and in what direction. Without conscious effort, without even willing it, she turned in the air and opened her eyes in shock when she felt the ground under her feet, a sharp impact that went through her whole body and made her sway in place, almost fall backwards.

"Kagome!"

It was Sesshomaru who called out for her, trying to prevent something irreparable from happening before she even knew what was going on – but in just another moment it was already too late. Veil askew, eyes shining, Kagome reached out and drew first the woman, and then the Houshi into a hug.

"Sorry, you two, I didn't mean to scare -"

"Kagome."

There was ominous depth in Sesshomaru's tone. Irritated, finally undoing the pesky veil, Kagome turned, her smile fading, and then froze completely still. Sango and Miroku were _not_ their only guests.

Someone else was standing beside Sesshomaru.

_Oh – oh no. I didn't – I couldn't have – she isn't - !_

But she knew, even as the thoughts crossed her head one after another, that she had, indeed, fallen out of the window – and she knew that the female staring at her with such cold eyes was, in fact, Sesshomaru's mother. He had not said anything about her, and even now had not made a move to introduce her, but she had heard Kinawai's taunts quite clearly – and never mind that, this female looked so much like her son that any other explanation was just silly.

Without waiting for introductions or another word from Sesshomaru, his mother stepped forward and stared at Kagome for a long moment. Kagome opened her mouth, but there were no words waiting – and even if she had found some, there was no chance for her to say anything. The female's eyes flickered up and down, and Kagome felt them linger at her forehead, which was strange, and then at her throat, which she had expected.

As swiftly as that, it seemed, the matter was decided.

"Clumsy, and disgraceful - absolutely disgraceful. Dragons!"

Her voice was scorchingly cold; her eyes flickered over to her son and then back to Kagome.

"And you - _you_ wish to be lady over the House of Blades! _You _wish to take my place?"

Kagome drew in a sharp breath, but again she could not speak. Those cold eyes had dissected and dismissed her, it seemed, in a moment or less – but that was not enough. Her voice suddenly warm, mother turned to son, and spoke softly.

"Sesshomaru, kill her."

Miroku and Sango drew in a shocked breath as one; Kagome only felt numb, suddenly numb where moments before there had been prickling nervousness, perhaps fear.

_Kill me? He – but he said he - _

Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome looked at her mate, but he was completely still, his features masked, his eyes glittering with hardness. His mother must have seen something in his face that Kagome missed, however, because after a moment she spoke again, still in those same warm, persuasive tones.

"Come, Sesshomaru; is it that difficult? Surely you have not become..._attached_?"

"Mother -"

His voice was thick with a warning that she did not heed.

"Do it for me, my son; as a gift to me, after my long absence. Or is your mother not worth the spilling of such _noble_ blood?"

It was then that the significance of the Dragon-colors finally made imprint on Kagome's dulled mind, but that no longer seemed to matter. This – this...Sesshomaru's mother was trying to get her killed! Trying to get _him_ to kill her!

_Why? What...what have I ever done to her? I've never even seen her before!_

Numb darkness reached Sesshomaru, clawing its way along the threads that bound him to Kagome and a quick glance convinced him that he knew what was wrong.

_She thinks I will do it! She really thinks - _

The numbness became despair as his mother continued to speak.

"If you need...distraction, surely I could find someone better suited - "

"Enough, mother!"

But the female who had born him would have none of that.

"Do you think to silence me, Sesshomaru? Do not forget who I am -"

"Do not forget who _I_ am! Lord of this House -"

"Lord of this House!"

Her voice was almost mocking, but his was low, serious, deadly.

"Yes. As my father before me. And if you are not silent now -"

But _he _fell silent at the pressure of Kagome's hand on his arm, and looked down at her. He had not noticed her crossing the space between them, but he was glad to see her there. Perhaps she did not think he would hurt her, after all. That was...good.

_Yes._

She was wearing the strangest expression in his experience; overwhelmingly, there was pity written on her features, but it was not out of some strange concern for herself. He wondered what that was for, and then shook his head once, sharply, hoping she would understand. It did not matter what it was for - she could not show weakness; not now, not to his mother! But it was too late.

"What is that expression on your face? Who is there here for you to _pity_?"

His mother spat the word at Kagome, but finally his mate had something to say. Her words shocked him; he could not imagine what they did to his mother.

"_You_."

There was a moment of deep silence; Kagome took a deep breath to fortify herself before she continued.

"I understand, I think; I'm sorry, but you shouldn't hate me. I'm not...I'm not one of _them_."

Across from her, Kagome watched those cold, glittering eyes gain a whisper of red.

"_What_ are you talking about, you - "

"You know what I'm talking about. I am not one of those who helped to kill the Inu no Taisho, mother of my mate. I am Inu now; I was never really Dragon, except for a moment between who I was, and...this. I'm sorry that you lost him, but you shouldn't try to hurt your son because of that -"

Sesshomaru was startled. His mother shouldn't try to hurt...him?

_But she is after you, Kagome!_

Red eyes flashed; wind rustled in his mother's bound hair, and Sesshomaru leapt forward only just in time to silence the words coming out of his mother's mouth.

"I Challenge - !"

Sesshomaru's hands cut off the words, one over her mouth and the other wrapped tightly at her throat. She stared for a moment, and had her second shock of the day, because the last time she had seen him...

"You will be silent, mother. You will be silent _now_, and you will listen to me. Kagome is my mate; she is Inu, and once she bore the Blood of Dragons; she owes her lineage to the House of Fire. Yet Kagome has never walked in a Dragon-den, or watched the Hatching under the light of the red moon. She was _human,_ mother; she and her Blood were sleeping, and when I woke them..."

He felt that she had ceased struggling against his hold, and let go, took a step back.

"When I woke them, for that little time before she was mine, then there was a Dragon in her, chained as she was chained. Do not turn your vengeance on her, mother, if that is what you are doing. You will not live to regret it."

Sesshomaru saw something strange in his mother's face then; she held one hand at her throat where he had bruised it in quieting her, and for the first time in his memory she regarded him with respect. Only his many years of practice allowed him to control the cynical smile that threatened to creep up on his face.

_So many pretty words, mother...but blood is all you understand. And _I _have learned...other things. _

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kagome shiver the tiniest bit; her silk rustled, and he realized then that there was no other sound around them. The garden had gone utterly still, and he turned back to his mother at the sound of her voice.

"So. My son has been tamed by a new-Awakened girl-demon, that is what you wish to tell me? Perhaps the rumors spoke more truth than you wanted, Sesshomaru."

She was smiling now, and there was something vindictive in her smile that made him uneasy.

"Well...I think I have heard enough. Girl-demon, despite the protests of my son, I have the right as Lady of this House to Challenge the one who seeks to supplant me – even in the absence of my mate."

Her lips curled; she sensed victory already in the sharp, bitter tang of fear that was accosting her nostrils. She did not notice that the scent did not belong to the girl-demon – that it belonged to her son. Kagome was the victim of another set of feelings entirely. She was silent, still as if frozen, no longer even trembling.

_Challenge...but I don't want to...I only meant to..._

"Well, girl-demon? Do you forfeit your right as mate of my son?"

Still, Kagome said nothing. Sesshomaru felt her fingers climbing into his sleeve, slipping towards his hand. It was foolish, but he could not help himself; he reached for her, pulled her against his body as if that could somehow protect her.

"Why don't you leave with your human friends; go back to where you came from - put plants in the ground, and live in a hovel."

Sango started forward at that, her fists tight and eyes flashing, but Miroku caught her arm and held her back.

"Or perhaps not? Perhaps you would just like to die, girl-demon."

She held up her claws, and they sparkled in the late-afternoon light – but she was once again surprised as Kagome finally spoke.

"No. I'm not going anywhere; I'm not leaving unless _he_ wants me to."

There was defiance in Kagome's tone; Sesshomaru almost smiled to hear it, so familiar, and then could not restrain himself when he saw how his mate continued to discomfit his mother.

"I don't want to fight you; you're his mother, and I don't know you, and I think it's stupid that this is how youkai deal with their problems! But I'm not giving up my life – _any_ of it. So you – you just wait here!"

Swiftly, too swiftly for Sesshomaru to restrain her, Kagome turned out of his grasp and walked back towards the main door; she did not look back even once.

"Houshi; Sango. You will follow me."

Sesshomaru spoke quietly, and swept them up into his wake as he followed Kagome; his mother was left alone in the garden, scowling at his back.

"How rude!"

* * *

Kagome made her way swiftly through the silent halls and up to the room she shared with Sesshomaru. Her fingers were shaking now, but she tried to ignore them and undid the knot of her obi, began to shuck the heavy robes.

_Afraid, I'm so afraid...but I have to do this. I _have to _do this. _

After a minute or so, the door opened slowly behind her; she thought at first it was Sesshomaru, but without turning she recognized the presence that was always kind enough to help her dress, and felt skilled fingers peel back the layers of robes deftly.

Shivering now, Kagome opened the wardrobe and sighed as she stared at them. She had been hoping for something she would actually be able to move in, rather than heavy robes or artfully embroidered yukata. Her thoughts were flashing with a hundred demon battles that she had seen; she did not think she or her clothes would escape unscathed...really, she didn't think she had much chance of escaping at all, but what choice did she have?

_I don't have anyone else, I don't have anywhere else to go. Only Sesshomaru, now that...now that I'm like _this_._

Her fingers tightened reflexively and she let out a gasp, and then felt tears well up in her eyes. Her claws had cut her palm; it was not the pain that bothered her, there really wasn't any – but rather the very fact of the act itself. Everything she did in her new self was hard, and there were so many things to remember -

A hand touched her shoulder, cool and invisible, and Kagome drew in a deep breath. This wouldn't help; she couldn't make things any better by crying. Slowly, she let out her breath and then drew in another, and then again.

_I won't let that – that – I won't let her do it! I won't let her!_

The hand on her shoulder squeezed gently and then slid away. Kagome saw robes rustling and moving in the wardrobe, and then a long drawer pulled out and she took a step forward, surprised. The drawer held familiar clothes, the garments of a miko woven from soft and shimmering silk.

"Ah - "

She stared at them for a moment, and then drew out the long hakama without a word, stepped into them and began to tie them closed. As she did so, a thought occurred to her; carefully, intentionally this time, Kagome cut her finger with a claw and focused on the bead of bright blood. Almost immediately, she felt the rising threads of power, the thrum that she had once associated only with the hum of her bowstring. She knew, as she felt it, as it attuned itself to her fear and anger, that she could make it the purifying power, instead of the healing power – death, not life.

Almost immediately the thought occurred to her that she had been stupid to never trying anything like this before. Why had she thought that only a bow could channel a miko's strength? It had been Kikyou's preference, and in trying to impress Inuyasha, trying to win his affection, she had wanted to be so much like Kikyou – but...

_The first time, the very first time...it was like this too._

She remembered with startling clarity the pain and the panic – the scream in her soul for someone, _anyone _to help, please, help...but she had helped herself. It was an encouraging thought. Sure, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku...even Sesshomaru had saved her, but the first time - that very first time, suspended in the darkness of the well, she had saved herself.

She could do it again.

When she was nearly dressed, the door opened slowly and Sesshomaru slipped through a space barely wide enough for his body. The hands that were tying her hair suddenly moved more quickly, and then disappeared. With quick steps, Sesshomaru came very close to her and stared down into her eyes. He was not touching her, but she felt like he was; it was...strange.

"Mate, you do not need to do this. At least...not now. Not like this. It is not -"

She interrupted him easily; she would not let him undo her resolve. Not _now_, not when she had just made up her mind!

"If I can't do it, she'll never stop, Sesshomaru. She doesn't believe in me, she doesn't think that I'm good enough for you. I'm tired...I'm tired..."

And suddenly she looked up at him, her eyes flashing.

"I'm tired of people always thinking I'm not good enough for the one I choose to be with, the one I want!"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Kagome sucked in a great gasp of breath, and turned away from him. He could tell her cheeks were flaming red, could taste her discomfort in her scent...but her words! They were electrifying, her words. They were not the fullness of what he wanted, they did not contain his dearest desire, they did not contain...her love. But -!

"_The one I choose to be with - the one I want!_"

No matter if she tried to deny it, no matter how much she might later regret it, those words were burned into his memory, branded there, seared into his consciousness.

_She wants to fight for me!_

"I cannot dissuade you."

Kagome took a deep breath, and shook her head.

"No. No, you can't. But you could...you could tell me good luck."

"That will not help, Kagome."

She intended to protest, but instead he pulled her back and she found herself kissing him, holding him tightly and praying that _this _time, she was good enough; that this time, the dream could come true.

Through the crack in the open door, Sango and Miroku watched, one with translucent amusement and the other with a strange sort of awe. Miroku nudged the woman beside him with an elbow, and mouthed words that were barely even breathed beside her ear.

"See? I told you, didn't I – that he might even care?"

Despite the worry the situation had produced in her, for once Sango could not restrain her grin.

Whether the noise had alerted him or not, Sesshomaru stood straight suddenly and turned towards the door, pulled it open all the way. Like guilty children, the two humans started backwards, and he scowled at them magnificently. Kagome laughed.

"The two of you must stay here. I know - "

Sesshomaru held up a hand to forestall their imminent interruption.

"You wish to watch Kagome. You may do this from the window – sit, if you like, but touch nothing."

He fixated Miroku with a blazing glare.

"_Nothing_."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-dono."

Miroku tugged Sango gently into the room, and then stopped respectfully; Sesshomaru imparted a final, warning glare and then pulled Kagome with him out into the hall. As the door was closing, Sesshomaru looked behind him; the houshi stood still as stone, his expression not flickering – Sesshomaru approved. Beside him, the woman Sango held her hands over her mouth, and he heard her whispered words, almost a prayer - _"Oh – be careful..." - _but Kagome did not seem aware of her.

* * *

At the door to outside, Sesshomaru pulled Kagome aside again, but this time he was directing her, not stopping her. They made their way around half the fortress, and in the back, at the edge of a stone-bordered path, he stopped. His mother was just beyond, waiting impatiently in a cleared and silent courtyard. She was obviously aware of them, but still he hesitated. He did not want to admit it, even to himself, but he was...uneasy about this confrontation, about how it would end.

Kagome did not seem disturbed; her fingers slid out of his grasp and she took a step forward - and then stopped. She turned back, fumbling at her neck, and Sesshomaru was shocked beyond words when she pressed the shikon no tama into his hands.

"Here - hold on to this. I know she saw it, before – I want her to know it is _my_ power she is fighting now, so she can't hold it against me later."

And then she was walking away from him again. There was a set to her shoulders that he knew well; as he stared at her back, his thoughts flashed backwards. He had seen her like this before; the image was like a shadow, white-and-red silk replaced by that obscenely short skirt...the angle at which the hair blew across her back was the same as some other moment in his experience and the color seemed to flicker before his eyes, black and then white again. He blinked, and the strangeness was gone, but even as he stepped up behind her, almost reaching for her, the situation spiraled beyond his control.

Kagome stepped forward, and his mother gestured to the space between them impatiently.

"Are you coming, girl-demon, or did you accept my Challenge with empty words?"

Kagome stopped three paces away from her and let out a breath, met the other female's eyes.

"I am here."

"Well then, girl-demon...it is Kimitsukiko who stands before you, most Noble Daughter of the House of Night, once mate of the Inu no Taisho, now Lady-Mother of Sesshomaru, Lord of the House of Blades. Name yourself!"

Startled, Kagome almost stumbled, and then stood straight, lifted her chin. She refused to be intimidated even though it would probably have been a good idea. She was silent for a moment, considering. How should she introduce herself? She remembered Sesshomaru standing in front of the little group of lords, the flicker of their eyes as she had said...what had she said? She smiled then; she knew what to say.

"I am Kagome, daughter of Mai; I am miko, guardian of the shikon no tama, companion to Taijiya, Houshi, Kitsune, and hanyou...I was Dragon, a daughter of the House of Fire, but now I am Inu, mate of Sesshomaru, Lord of the House of Blades."

Kagome watched her antagonist's eyes narrow almost thoughtfully, her lips silently shaping the words Kagome had used.

And then she moved.

Faster than the wind, almost as fast as Kagome had seen Sesshomaru move, she came, and Kagome dodged her reaching claws by a hairsbreadth. Instinct moved her, saved her life; but then the attack came again, and Kagome saw that the fame of Sesshomaru's father was one thing, but certainly his mother had given him some of the strength he prized as well.

Kimitsukiko must have seen something on Kagome's face, because for a moment she paused, her deadly claws a millimeter from Kagome's left eye. Kagome sucked in a breath; Sesshomaru, watching, was forced to abort a step forward.

Slowly, amusement showing clearly in them, Kimitsukiko turned her eyes on her son, letting him know that she had seen his lapse of control. His growl reached the ears of both females clearly, but his mother turned back to Kagome then and leaned close to her.

"Yes, girl-demon - I, too, am deadly."

After a moment, as if to deny her own words, she leapt back, and allowed Kagome time to lift herself away from the ground.

"Well, girl-demon?"

She gestured towards Sesshomaru, tilted her head in his direction.

"If that is the shikon no tama, should you not use its power to aid you? Even you might have a chance to defeat me then."

Her lip curled as if to deny her words as she spoke them, but Kagome barely kept a scowl off her face; her thoughts fumed.

_I knew it!_

"No! I am its guardian; I protect it! Someday I will purify it, but I _don't_ use it."

Her eyes flickered towards him and then back to her opponent; Kimitsukiko bore a smile on her face that gave Kagome shivers.

"Ah, but what about Sesshomaru? You are its guardian, you say; should you leave it in the hands of such a killer as my son? He will taint it, wreak havoc with its power! Perhaps you should take it back from him; perhaps then this would be a Challenge!"

As much as the insinuation of her own weakness angered her, in the face of such a question about Sesshomaru, Kagome was serene, her voice and manner suddenly, utterly calm.

"He won't use it, either."

Kimitsukiko appeared to be amused.

"Tell me, how can you know? Surely, you are aware of his demonic nature, his coldness, his merciless cruelty? Do not let the fact that he keeps a small human deceive you; once, there were two of them following him around - perhaps he ate the boy."

She showed perfect, glittering fangs in a smile that mocked Kagome and Sesshomaru both.

"But I know my son; I have watched him tear the beating heart from a living man, seen him wrist deep in broken flesh - "

But it was now Kagome's turn to surprise them, not only Kimitsukiko but Sesshomaru as well. All through his mother's recitation of his acts of violence, Sesshomaru knew he could deny none of it. He would not lie, but he was waiting for Kagome's reaction - for her disgust, her anger...something.

Now, rather than any of those things, he saw her face contorting, taking on a strange grimace that he thought he had seen before. It was not a smile – that expression could never be a smile. It was macabre, pale humor with more than a hint of darkness as distortion. She let out a little snort, and shook her head.

"Wrist deep, that's all?"

Silence unrolled around her like a thick blanket.

"I've seen Sesshomaru elbow-deep in his _brother's_ body, his brother that I...cared for. I've seen him in the shape of his Inu self, terrifying, magnificent, poisonous...I've seen him wade through the bodies of hell-warriors, and through Naraku's viscous flesh! Do you really think you can scare me off by talking about _terrible things_?"

For the moment, at least, Kimitsukiko had nothing to say. Sesshomaru was more than astonished, but Kagome was not through.

"For years, _years_, I slogged through guts and blood and...and nasty _bits_, picking out jewel shards from shreds of whatever was left over after Inuyasha was through killing things! And sometimes I had to clean out wounds that any normal person would have died from, and most days I was up to my shoulders in blood..."

She took a deep breath.

"Even before I was youkai, _I_ was a killer, too. I know that some of the youkai I purified probably had families, parents...children. So I was already tainted! Now I'm a demon - no, now I _know_ I'm a demon - and I don't taint the shikon no tama...and neither will _he_."

Kagome turned to face Sesshomaru then, and, slowly, almost unwillingly, his mother's eyes followed her movement. The light of the glittering pink stone was the same as it had been around Kagome's throat. For a long minute, all their eyes settled on the shikon no tama, but there was no change, no disturbance - the sky did not fall.

Kimitsukiko looked vaguely disappointed, and then shrugged.

"Well. Then we will finish this, girl-demon. Attack me, now - you who say you are a killer!"

* * *

Kagome had fought only Inuyasha since she had been changed into this new flesh, had hunted only a rabbit that she had not been able to kill. Slowly, from her reading, from watching Sesshomaru, from what he told her, she was learning to be youkai...but still, she had really been bluffing.

_I don't know how to fight like this - with my bare hands, with claws. I don't know how to move -_

But Kimitsukiko did not give her time to contemplate. Again, the lightning movements! Kagome could almost see it, as it was happening - the blinding speed of her footsteps, the precisely timed movements of each muscle in her body -

It was instinct, again, that jerked Kagome out of the way, but this time she was nowhere near fast enough. Kimitsukiko followed her backwards, continuing her blow, and suddenly all Kagome could think, all she could feel, was pain.

_Pain!_

She could feel individual muscles tearing, could count her ribs breaking - one, two, three. A gasp escaped her, and she felt her body bending backwards, taking her out of the range of the most dangerous part of the blow, allowing sharp claws to tear the flesh over her ribs but protecting her vital organs.

Blood welled to the surface and overflowed, poured down the front of her body, staining white and red silk to the same dark color. Instinctively, she staggered back a few steps. Her right hand came up to cover the wound and she experienced then the strangest sensation in her experience. The flesh was...she could feel it...sealing together. It itched, and burned, but both sensations were dull to her; the freshness of the pain was still too bright on her nerves. Things were _moving_ inside her, the fractured edges of her ribs already beginning to realign, to knit together...but there was no time for her to be fascinated, no time to be distracted.

Her eyes dragged themselves up from the ground and focused on her opponent; Sesshomaru's mother. For a moment she almost laughed; she had heard that dealing with your mother-in-law could be difficult, but this!

_And what do I do?_

In answer to her half-panicked question, there was an answer; deep inside her, she felt the rumble of the wakeful Inu in her soul, and then reached out and _touched_ it, like she touched her miko power. Red light woke in her eyes; bloodlust gorged in her veins and drew her lips back in a snarl that showed her real nature on her face.

There was something like approval in Kimitsukiko's eyes now, but only Sesshomaru was collected enough to see it and begin to understand. He had thought that telling his mother her opponent was little better than a pup-in-training might dissuade her from this ridiculous fight; Kagome's stillness, her wide-eyed disassociation from her own inner bloodlust were all too apparent to him. Now that his mate was red-eyed, desiring violence, his mother seemed pleased.

"Mother..."

His tone was low, warning; he knew she would hear him just as he knew Kagome could not. The Inu would give her strength, speed, would move her claws and fangs in a death-seeking pattern...but it was dangerous, dangerous to lose hold of oneself in the flood of that dark power.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and felt along the bond between them, felt the strong presence of Kagome's consciousness, her determination, her intent. He withdrew.

_Good. _

If nothing else, there was still the miko power burning in her blood. He looked down then, at the pink stone glimmering in his palms, and wondered at it. He had thought, at first, that his mother could not be other than right – but now... What was purity, _really_? What did it mean to be tainted – to be defiled?

Overhead, two people watched with a very similar question on their minds. At Kagome's first snarl, Miroku and Sango drew back half in horror, and then stepped forward again, pulled by a grim curiosity. Was this really _their_ Kagome? Miroku had seen her violence against Inuyasha, even if dimly and from a distance, and Sango had accepted that Kagome's nature was youkai - but for both of them this sight was a reality check. Kagome's own words hung in their ears – _I am a killer - s_ilently, Miroku shook his head, and held Sango's trembling hand, and watched.

It had been true; every single word.

* * *

A/N: And...another really, really long time! The summer I thought I would have has dissolved into full time work and four classes – I'm an _idiot_ for even thinking I would have free time, but...eh. At least I'll graduate faster. Anyway, ta-da! Chapter! Even if it took forever, the good news is that the next one is ALMOST done, miraculously. Really, this one partially took so long because I had to line it up with the next one, and some of the one after that. That should be encouraging! Anyway, thanks for waiting, and on to reviews!

clara954: Thank you! That dream of poor Kagome's is going to come back to haunt her relatively soon...and for some disturbing reasons. But then, Kagome has already figured out that she has the worst luck in the world when it comes to stuff like that. :D

Kouga's Older Woman: Sango and Miroku have _really_ bad timing. _Really _bad. Ha! But I didn't want to put everyone in the middle because that would just have ended badly - and Sesshomaru wouldn't allow it. But its just so funny to have him interacting with the two of them...ah ha, humans he can't kill. :P

AMUTOLOVER09: Ahh...but if I answer all those questions, I'll give away all of what's coming! Mmm...let's just say, don't take everything Inu-mama does at face value. As far as Presentation goes, the only thing that will change for Kagome is she gets a crescent tattoo. Haven't decided what color yet...probably that magenta-red color that Sesshomaru's markings are - the ones he shares with his father. Heh. Anyway...read on! It will answer all - I hope! Oh! And other fic. Now, I would LOVE to use them, because I love trinity blood (apparently they've started serializing the manga again, but I've only seen one new chapter thus far) Anyway, the thing is that right now i have TEN different fics. I've got to at least get a couple of them finished; probably death note and yuuko and the last epilogue chapter of Ukime...and then I might start something new. So...wait patiently, ya? We'll see...:D

selene88sakura: Hopefully the answers to your questions got through; you still deserve thanks for your review, though! :D

RedWolf47: Ah...Ta-da! Heh. Kagome is _definitely _not going to take anything from Sesshomaru's mother...she knows that Sesshomaru is all she's got left, and, let's be honest, from her point of view that's still a pretty tenuous, remarkable thing. And really...its about time she stuck up for something she wanted!

lunarcat12: Hmm...well, Kagome's throat is safe for a little while, at least, because if she dies, no more story! Heh. But it _is _a pretty nasty dream, and it _does_ have some further consequences. And Mommy meets mate...ahaha. Sesshomaru has just got so much trouble coming that he doesn't expect. Females on all sides are about to gang up on him - well, sort of. So funny! :D More soon, don't worry!

uchihacutie: much thanks! I do try :D.

Ichirei: Much thanks as always! Lost without internet, I would probably melt into a puddle of boredom - then again, lost without internet, no one would know I was missing :P. More soon - cause the next chapter is almost done, y'see. Heh. :D You sound like Kagome though, getting ready for Promotion (no idea what that is, but it just reminded me of Presentation :P) I decided on Inu-mama's name as it is for two reasons - one, I needed something I could remember, and two, I wanted something with a meaning that's close to her personality. Also I figured if I really named her Ignatius, someone would put a hit out on me, heh. Compound names definitely kick ass though!

Relyan: Woo! Much thanks! Good wishes are appreciated; finals are aced! Now, if I can just get through my summer classes in one piece!

1CarinoInu: Ally indeed! I hope so for Sesshomaru and Kagome's sakes - Inu-mama is NOT somebody you want to have after you. Kagome's presentation is basically just what the word means; she's being presented to the youkai Council and Sesshomaru's family as his mate. Next chapter will finally contain some hints as to what is actually going to _happen_ in the presentation, so I won't give it away! Now, if I could only figure out what to do with Shippou...

Beneath The Shining Stars: Ha! Seems that way, doesn't it? When I try to write a summary for this fic or post it on new sites or anything I always run into that trouble. I have this feeling that if I put a couple of sentences that actually said what the story was about instead of some vague mumbo-jumbo, no one would actually read it! (Kind of like winds...poor winds. Scared everyone away with my pairings :P) Sesshomaru's mother is going to...well...she's going to not be too happy for a while. Look in the next chapter for some hints about the Ink and Presentation; more chapters soon!

Sesshomaruykagome4ever: thanks for the review! continuing! :D

Anime Lady PIMP: :D! Thanks! Me too! :P Sorry I'm so slow; classes and life keep interfering, but more will come soon!

Tales Reign: Much thanks! It's been taking longer to get chapters up lately since life interfered, but never fear, my ability to procrastinate is mighty! This means, when I should be doing my Psyche exam, I'm typing the next chapter. :D More soon!

Final Revisions...complete! Woo! And now...a new chapter! :D R&R!


	28. XXVIII: Family

XXVIII.

Family

* * *

In silence, Kimitsukiko and Kagome began their fight anew. There was a pant now and then or a snarl given voice, but no challenges, no cries or calls or screams. Infused with the rush of her youkai self, embedded in it, though perhaps less deeply than the first time, Kagome had a chance to dodge, and even wound her opponent. In slow motion, she felt her claws tear the fabric of one elegant sleeve and the skin beneath, a long, unbroken cut that reached down Kimitsukiko's arm from shoulder to wrist.

A new scent of blood broke the air with a sharp, metallic tang. Minutes passed that felt like hours as the two females circled each other, dodged intentions and moved with flickering footsteps around an invisible border. Neither of them seemed willing to take the last step forward, to make the commitment.

Finally, Kimitsukiko struck a glancing blow that opened a second, shallower slash across Kagome' s ribs, and Sesshomaru saw her stumble, almost fall, and then bring both hands to the wound. His mother stepped forward into the opening that Kagome's inattention had made visible, and her fingers gained the faintest edge of a green glow as she drew back for a final, lethal attack.

For a moment Sesshomaru teetered on the edge of fear, wondering, as she continued to sway in place, if Kagome had been wounded more deeply than he had thought, if this was the end -

Power, brilliant and pink, erupted outwards from Kagome's hands. It was an uncontrolled conflagration, a sheet of purifying energy that crossed the grass like a sweet-smelling wind on fire. Eyes wide, Kimitsukiko was able to take only two steps in her attempt to flee before the wave of power caught her. Her shriek was high and almost pitiful; at the sound of it, the flickering power cut off sharply and vanished, and Sesshomaru ran forward just in time to catch her as she fell.

He summoned aid immediately, looking at his mother's body as he laid her on the grass. Her breathing was harsh, ragged, and he knew just with that first glance that only her immense youki and the extreme shortness of her exposure to Kagome's power had spared her. The wounded arm was gone, turned completely to dust; so was a significant amount of flesh over her ribs and abdomen, and part of her right leg and her right foot where she had stepped forward trying to run.

The wounds smoked ominously, and he saw from the slowness of her body's sudden movement how gentle his servants were being with her; still, she drew in a hissing, gasping breath. Her eyes focused on Kagome, who was still and quiet now; the red was fading from her eyes and she raised them very slowly to meet the gaze of Sesshomaru's fallen mother. There was both surprise and anger in Kimitsukiko's stare, but her face showed only pain.

"Finish it, _Hime-sama_."

Sesshomaru's eyes opened wide at that; he might have expected his mother to say such a thing sarcastically, in her usual cold drawl – but not now, and not in a tone like that, not...so seriously. Kagome looked only confused, but she stepped forward anyway.

"Sesshomaru, wait..."

He held up a hand, and at the gesture the invisible movement of his mother's body stopped; Kagome came very close, holding her open wound, and dropped heavily to her knees. Once again, she pulled her hands away from the gashes and swiftly the power rose out of her blood, as if it had been waiting to overflow. For the first time, Sesshomaru almost stepped forward to stop her; he was not sure if the purple power was for healing, or for death...and if anyone was going to kill his mother, it would be him.

_Bad enough that she has Inuyasha's blood on her hands!_

But he need not have worried. Filaments and seeking tendrils of light rose from Kagome's bloodied hands and from the fresh red fluid that still oozed from her open wounds. The threads were coaxing the blood back into his mother's flesh, repairing muscles and tissues that had been dissolved away with almost the same quickness that they had been destroyed. In the matter of a minute or so, the great, gaping wound across her ribs was gone. Kagome shuffled slowly on her knees, down the bloodied grass, and turned her attention to the smoking ruins of his mother's right leg.

He wondered if his mother was feeling something of the sensation he had felt; the reconstruction of bone, tendon, skin – she was silent, but her eyes were fixed on Kagome and her slowly returning limb.

When it was finished, Kimitsukiko flexed the restored leg experimentally and found it the same as the old one. Beside her, Kagome turned to her missing arm – but the power suddenly flickered, and went out. Kagome was the one who looked surprised this time, before she toppled sideways, breathing heavily, and lay face-first in the grass.

As he went to her, Sesshomaru watched his mother's face out of the corner of his eye and saw that beneath her attempt at composure she was truly awed, and almost a little afraid.

It was fear she would never admit to or show again, but he had seen such an expression on her face only once before, when she had been looking at his father. Not at even at he himself did she gaze with such an expression; long before she had judged, and rightly, that it would take the most terrible of offenses to induce him to kill or harm her. She was the one who had given him birth, and she was a powerful ally in her own right.

_And I owe her a debt...for Rin._

But that was something he knew neither of them would ever mention. In this moment, all her fear and all her focus was directed at Kagome. Slowly, wobbling, weak, she stood. Sesshomaru made no move to offer or mention help; she did not expect it of him. When she was firmly on her feet, she gestured to her right leg and foot, raised an eyebrow.

"Is that how it happened for you too, Sesshomaru?"

Slowly, he nodded, and then turned back to Kagome. She had fainted dead away; her skin was far too pale, and internally he chided himself for allowing her to expend so much energy on his mother when she was weak from neglecting herself. Being careful not to touch or jostle her wound, Sesshomaru lifted his mate and stood slowly. He brushed past his mother easily, ignoring her eyes on him, and then paused on his way up the stairs.

"Kagome will want to heal you; it is her way – or maybe she would say it is her duty. If I had _my_ way, she would leave you as you are...but I will not hurt her in such a manner. Still, I will not allow her to restore what you have lost until after these _festivities._"

He could not see his mother's face, but he could imagine her fury, as well as her acceptance. She startled him with cool, calm words.

"That is...acceptable. But be careful, Sesshomaru. That power she used was not controlled; you said she once was human and I could not believe it until I had fought her, but you should be glad that I did. She is unprepared, and unwilling; her flesh may have changed, but she still does not know who she is or what she is doing. What _have _you been teaching her?"

He heard her sweep away, and stood still for another moment, absorbing her words.

_Unprepared, and unwilling..._

* * *

With slow footsteps, Sesshomaru brought Kagome up to the room where her human friends were waiting, and admonished them to silence. A look around the room told him that nothing was out of place; indeed, it looked as if they had hardly dared to move while he was absent. As he put Kagome down on the edge of the bed, he shook her gently; her eyelids fluttered, and then opened, and she let out a little moan of pained confusion.

"Kagome..."

Her eyes opened fully, and he heard her deep breaths as she steadied herself against pain that was suddenly sharply impressed upon her consciousness.

"Sesshomaru? I wasn't – I wasn't done yet -"

Against the pressure of her discomfort, Kagome attempted to stand; he restrained her with a gentle hand.

"You are done for now, Kagome. Now, you must say goodbye to your friends."

Her eyes crinkled in confusion, but then she let out a heavy sigh.

"They can't be here; I understand."

Her disappointment was obvious, and Sesshomaru took a deep breath, hoped that what he was about to say, he wouldn't one day regret.

"They can't be here _now_. Tomorrow this place will be full of my kin; the day after, it will be flooded with youkai. I cannot keep a watch every second; they would not survive."

He ignored the thoughtful expression on the Houshi's face, the anger blooming on the woman's. Kagome's eyes were vaguely hopeful.

"But...they can come back when this is all over?"

He hesitated for only a moment.

"Yes."

And then he turned and faced the pair of humans with a glare that dared them to disagree with his...suggestion.

"But for now, they must leave."

Kagome's goodbyes were long, but not tearful; Sango hugged her gingerly, and Miroku only winked.

"Just send word, and we'll come, Kagome – and don't forget, we still need you for our wedding."

"Don't be stupid, Miroku, of course I won't forget!"

She made as if to get up, but Sesshomaru made a halting gesture and she stayed put.

"I will bring them outside; rest, Kagome. Your flesh needs to heal, your power needs to replenish itself."

He led Sango and Miroku out; Kagome waved at them as the door shut. Swiftly now, Sesshomaru made his way down the hallway to the stair, and then out through main door; everything was quiet, and his mother was nowhere in sight. Once they were outside, the twin-tailed kitten in Sango's hands leapt to the ground and changed, became a fiery Nekomata.

"Houshi, I will make clear to you now my...welcome. You may visit this place; I will not keep my Kagome from her companions. Yet I will say this one time, and one time only. Never again come here without explicit invitation, unless in dire emergency. It _is not safe_ for humans here."

Before Miroku could stop her, Sango spoke challengingly, as Sesshomaru was turning away and the Gate was closing.

"What about the little girl? _She _is human, and she's alright."

Sesshomaru peered at her with a strange expression, and then shook his head.

"It is not the same. Rin is mine; no one who values their life would Challenge me over her now. But you two...you are grown, and dangerous, and you belong only to Kagome. She is not strong enough to protect you, yet – didn't you see?"

He turned his back to them fully then, and began to walk back towards the door. The Gate closed behind him, and Miroku and Sango exchanged glances outside the high wall.

"He's...um..."

"He'll take care of Kagome, Sango, and he won't forbid her from seeing us. That's all that matters, right?"

The woman made no response as they mounted Kirara and flew away towards the village. Five minutes later, she swore and reached back to poke Miroku's shoulder.

"We forgot to invite him to the wedding!"

* * *

As the evening sky was darkening, just as the twilight purples were at their most beautiful in the late autumn sky, Kagome sat back from her now-emptied tray and stretched carefully. Food was a wonderful thing, though she could still feel a tired edge in her muscles; the wounded flesh across her ribs had already healed over, but she could still feel heat beneath the raw, new skin. As she stretched, she felt a twinge of pain, but only that - a twinge. She could hardly believe it; it was the first time she had experienced the regenerative power of her new flesh in a real way. Only a few hours before, her body had been broken and bleeding, her ribs cracked.

"Incredible..."

But even as she whispered the word, she yawned again. Sesshomaru had said she should not sleep, after he had seen to it that she was fed; he had said that she should come for him if she grew tired again, but she found herself reluctant.

_It is too early to sleep, I'm sure he won't want to come with me..._

She was surprised at how forlorn she felt suddenly, thinking that, and her surprise immediately made her angry - although she wasn't quite sure how that made sense.

Tomorrow, things would begin to happen. She hadn't the slightest idea of what those things were, but she almost wished she had demanded that he say something. Going over it in her head, everything she had learned seemed vague and useless. She couldn't tell if it had been deliberate, or if he had just forgotten that this was one more thing she didn't – couldn't – know.

_Probably that. He acts like I should just magically know _all_ this stuff. Ha! _

Purposefully, fully intending to get some answers, she strode out of the room and out into the corridors - and bounced off of Rin, who wasn't quick enough to scamper out of her way. Shippou was, and he made his way up to her shoulder with a leap that kept him out of the way of her shins.

"'Kaa-san!"

Shippou's voice was almost scolding. He had joined Sesshomaru's crusade to teach her what it meant to be youkai with a will; today's events had proven beyond a doubt that she had no idea of the limits on her strength or speed, or how sensitive her senses were. This was just another example; it made her grit her teeth.

"Oh - Rin - I'm so sorry!"

Swiftly, Kagome bent and helped her up; Rin was smiling happily as if nothing had happened.

"Do not worry, okaa-san! I got in the way; Sesshomaru-sama has done that before."

With an internal wince, careful not to show the pain of her tender ribs, Kagome let the girl clamber up, and Shippou leapt down to stand beside her.

"'Kaa-san, Rin and I made something for you, a present!"

"Yes, a present!"

Rin's echo was softer but no less pleased; Shippou turned big, green eyes toward Kagome and she winced again; the plea in his expression was obvious and she immediately felt horrible.

_I've been ignoring them, that isn't fair. It isn't like Sesshomaru is going to take time out to play with them, I should've done at least that much..._

She nodded once, sharply.

"Right! So...what are we still doing here?"

A pair of excited cheers erupted briefly, and then each child grabbed a hand and pulled her through the hallways towards Shippou's rooms. It was not far; it had made her smile, the first time she noticed how close Rin's – and therefore Shippou's - rooms were to Sesshomaru's. Her eyes slid down to the little girl pulling on her hand; she had tried, but she could not understand what it was that bound the two of them together.

_I suppose it's the same for Sesshomaru, trying to understand why I have Shippou. _

Quickly, peering behind as if someone might intercept them, Shippou herded Kagome into his room; Rin led her in, holding her hand.

"Wait here, 'kaa-san, and shut your eyes!"

Smiling, tempted to peek, Kagome settled onto the indicated cushion and closed her eyes. She heard shuffling, whispers so low that her ears couldn't distinguish words, and then pattering footsteps approaching her slowly.

"Okaa-san, open your eyes now!"

She obeyed, and beheld two smiling, nervous faces. Together, Rin and Shippou held out a long, finely shaped piece of wood. It was obviously meant to keep a scroll in, and she took the end-binder and pulled it carefully, revealing fine paper; the first thing she saw was bright writing at the very edge of the scroll. She recognized Shippou's childish scrawl and the care he had taken forming his characters; the words said "_Shippou Monogatari"_. Smiling now, Kagome pulled out the scroll a little further, and Shippou came close to her, climbed across her lap and began to point out details on the paper.

"It's a story scroll, 'kaa-san! Look, see – that's me, and that's _you_. "

The little figures were small, but recognizable; Shippou with a brilliant orange splash of hair and tail, herself astride the old pink bicycle. After a moment, the kit reached out and tugged on the scroll, unrolling it across the floor. Kagome's eyes followed his finger to the next picture in the sequence.

"And _this _one is -"

Kagome's smile twitched; she held back a giggle.

"This one is you trying to steal my jewel shards! As if I'd miss that."

Shippou grinned toothily and showed no remorse whatsoever.

"But, 'kaa-san, if I hadn't taken them then I'd never have ended up with you! Look – see, the next one!"

With care, Kagome examined the brightly colored pictures. They were childish details of a story she knew well, each scene different and poignant with memory. He had drawn the battle with the thunder brothers, even her capture and escape; near the end, she paused for a moment on one scene that was especially moving. With loving care, Shippou had outlined their own unconscious, half-dead shapes, suspended in blue foxfire. Off to one side, in memory of a moment she almost could not believe in, a single shape stood alone. The familiar haori and hakama, the drooping puppy ears and tear-stained eyes half-hidden behind a bright red sleeve stood out in the picture, in her memory.

She could not prevent a sigh from escaping, and Shippou, noticing, hurriedly reached across to point to the next image, purposefully obscuring the one she had been looking at.

"Look, 'kaa-san – Miroku and Sango, see? We found them, too..."

He traced a line between the two of them with his finger, and wrinkled his nose.

"And then they fell in _looove_."

Beside him, Rin giggled at his tone, and Kagome smiled. He had drawn Miroku and Sango sitting together, holding hands; her smile turned to outright laughter when she noticed that picture-Miroku's hand was positioned for a stealthy grab.

The next image in sequence was not so amusing. There was a village – one she knew well, one she had seen many times in her own memories – though there it was haunted by terrible laughter.

_Naraku! That last fight -  
_

Shippou had drawn a cloud, dark and ominous, thick with purple lightening, over the village. Before she could study it too closely, his little hands reached out and tugged on the scroll again, revealing the last foot. The next picture was a scene from her worst nightmare, but from a perspective she had never considered. Shippou had put himself in the picture, in the protective hollow created by the looping of a tree root. Across the page were scattered bodies, friend and foe – Sango and Miroku, both bloody, and also the last incarnations of Naraku. Kagome saw herself, bow in hand, and Inuyasha, wielding his sword so that a burst of golden power obscured a large part of the page.

Quickly, Kagome's eyes moved to the next frame. Sango and Miroku were sitting, each one bandaged, and Shippou sat between them. Picture-Shippou wore a sad expression, and Kagome looked up at the kit in front of her suddenly.

"I didn't...I didn't want to leave you behind, Shippou, but I had to run. I had...I had to get away. From Inuyasha."

"I know."

Shippou hopped forward and perched on her knee, hugged her gently.

"'Kaa-san, I was mad at Inuyasha, not at you! Not – not – cause he hurt me, you know, but because he made you leave. I saw you running away -"

"Shippou! You were unconscious!"

The kit grinned cheekily as he returned to the floor.

"Not _really_. But my ribs hurt really bad, and I couldn't talk - "

Kagome's arms reached out and swept him close, knocking the book aside. She hugged him very, very tightly, and then put him down on the floor rather quickly as he wriggled in her grasp.

"Shippou, I -"

"'Kaa-san, you have to look at the rest!"

Kagome blinked.

"Well – okay."

"Here, okaa-san."

They were the first words Rin had spoken since they had begun examining the pictures, and Kagome looked at her for a moment before accepting the end of the scroll back. She made her mind up quickly.

"Rin, why don't you come sit next to me, on this side - "

She gestured to her left.

"And Shippou, you come and sit still for once on _this _side."

Quickly, he scampered into the appropriate spot on her right.

"There, now. Shall we continue with your _monogatari_, Shippou?"

Her careful emphasis was just right; both children beamed at her, and Shippou pointed at the second-to-last picture.

"Here!"

Kagome was pleased to see an image that once again made her smile; picture-Shippou was wrapped in bandages, and she was sitting beside him, larger than life. Sango and Miroku had been relegated to the side of the page. Finally, she turned her eyes to the last drawing, and smiled a little; he had drawn the white-walled fortress, or at least he had tried – he had little familiarity with it, and it was really too big to be well represented on such a little piece of paper. Dwarfed by the immensity, four little figures stood in front of the wall, Shippou's new family: herself, Sesshomaru, Rin, and picture-Shippou, no longer bandaged.

"Well, thank you - "

"'Kaa-san, you have to see Rin's part now. Come on, Rin, let's roll it up!"

Carefully, the two of them turned a small protrusion at the end of the wood around the scroll; slowly, it rewound itself into its holder. When they were through, Shippou hand it back to Kagome and grinned.

"Now pull out the other side, 'kaa-san!"

Surprised, Kagome turned the polished length of wood over in her hands, and realized that there was indeed another binder for the end of another scroll on the opposite side. Slowly, she pulled it out and draped it across her lap; she saw a a duplicate of the other title frame, only this one said "_Rin Monogatari". _

"You drew this one, Rin?"

The girl nodded, and when she made no move to pull out the paper further, Kagome did it herself.

The first picture was completely surprising; Rin, very small, tinier than she was now, sitting outside a little hut with two people behind her. It was obvious to Kagome that the people were human, though their features were vague, and she realized suddenly that they must have been Rin's parents. The next page confirmed her guess; tiny Rin sat next to two small covered mounds, with little blue tears moving down her face as a line of villagers and priests retreated into the distance.

The next several images Kagome found shockingly disturbing; she might have found them more so and not less if she had known how common the depicted actions were in the era she had come to. Rin had drawn her own orphaned descent into homeless thieving with precise and unexceptionable detail; tiny Rin grew into slightly smaller Rin, and that picture showed a ragged girl dressed in bits of grey, black-eyed and bruised and hiding in the shadows of the image.

But it was the next scene that was the most stunning, far more so than the first. The little girl had real talent; she had drawn Sesshomaru, bloody, battered, his features still arrogant, haughty and radiating that untouchable aura even in crayon. The shocking part had been drawn almost as an afterthought; at the bottom right corner of the page was Rin, holding out a chipped plate that held a miserable looking fish – Kagome could see the thoughts the real girl must have been having in the hungry, determined stare on picture-Rin's face. She was starving; Kagome knew, from the previous pictures, that the girl had to have stolen to get that fish, as sad and thin-looking as it was, and the thought that she was giving up this precious food to a stranger seemed almost inconceivable. And yet...the stranger was bleeding, badly wounded, obviously weak even though he seemed not to want her help. He needed the fish more than her.

Tears welled in Kagome's eyes, and she blinked rapidly to dispel them.

The next picture was almost the same; Sesshomaru in all his bloody glory – but the girl was no longer in the picture, and the plate of fish remained. Kagome could imagine her slipping away, peering for a moment through the bushes to see if her offering had been taken, and turning away again in hopeful disappointment.

What followed was almost unbelievable, yet far too realistic to be the imagining of a child. Picture-Rin was at the edge of a village, and then she was at the edge of trees, with small things flying at her; her already ragged yukata was torn, and her other eye was black. Angry human faces loomed at the borders of the page, the mouths open to form harsh words.

And then there were wolves. Wolves filled the next picture, all of them snarling, showing vicious mouths full of slavering teeth. Kagome shuddered; the image was disturbing, frightening...and then she looked at the next one. Picture-Rin was running and the wolves from the previous frame had wrapped around the paper to chase her, teeth nipping at her heels.

Horror stared out at her from the next scene – picture-Rin was on the ground, and her eyes were dull; blood stains had washed out most of the other colors in the image, but at the edge of the picture stood Sesshomaru, dressed in white and pale yellow, sword outstretched. Kagome recognized the sword, and the _truth_, the real, full depth of it, finally sank in.

Rin had died, and now she was alive; Sesshomaru had saved her. In her grief, her anguish, Kagome had screamed those words at Sesshomaru, as if that could somehow undo the terrible thing _she_ had done, give back the once-beloved life she had taken...but even then she had not understood what the girl had told her, not really. She had not _believed_. Now, she had no choice. The pictures were worth more than a thousand words, were worth more than all the words in the world.

Kagome took a deep breath, and then reached out and pulled out the last several inches of the paper.

The last two pictures were similar to those that Shippou had drawn; first, Rin and Sesshomaru in an open meadow, the girl a little behind, stooped over gathering flowers – and then the four of them together in front of a much more detailed rendition of their fortress home.

As she had done to Shippou, Kagome swept up Rin into a hug, and was surprised when the girl froze, trying neither to escape nor to return the gesture of affection. It took nearly a minute for her to relax into the embrace, and another for her little arms to snake themselves around Kagome's waist.

It had been a long, long time since Rin had been hugged by anybody.

* * *

The three of them sat together in comfort for quite a while. Kagome found that her drowsiness was appeased by laying in idleness with the two children, even if she was not really sleeping. Perhaps forty-five minutes passed, and then Kagome noticed a _presence_ outside the door. Expecting that it was Sesshomaru or one of his servants, she didn't move – and then there was a knock, which was more than unusual; it was absolutely _odd_.

The door opened to show the last person Kagome expected. Rin and Shippou scooted away from her as fast as they could, and Kagome rose swiftly, bowed shortly.

"Kimitsukiko-sama."

The gaze of those cold, golden eyes, so much like her son's, looked at Kagome with surprise and muted discomfort. It was obvious that she had not expected Kagome to be here, and Kagome found herself completely confused.

_These are Shippou's rooms. Why would she come here, if she was not looking for me? She can't want anything to do with him -_

But her eyes, in that moment, focused on Rin. There was strangeness in the girl's manner; her face had taken on a blank and utterly impassive mask. After a moment, Kagome looked up and saw the reason for this; Kimitsukiko's stare was directed, not at herself, but at Rin, and there was something in that stare she did not like.

Still, for a moment she too remained frozen, looking at the girl. That expression – where had she seen that expression? As she thought it, the answer hit her like cold water.

_Sesshomaru! Kami-sama...she is his daughter in all but blood._

Kimitsukiko took a step forward, and the movement shocked Kagome from her thoughts – that step screamed _danger! _at her.

"Rin, come here."

The girl did not move.

"Rin!"

Kagome said it sharply, the way Sesshomaru called her to follow, and she saw Rin blink twice, and then turn slowly and take the four necessary steps towards her. Her face did not change as she moved; her feet stepped unnaturally, without human rhythm.

Shippou also noticed the blankness on his new sister's face, and was thoroughly unimpressed with the person who had caused this. Carefully, trying to garner as little notice as possible, he crept behind Kagome and up to Rin's side, but -

An amused voice penetrated his stealth.

"You can stop slinking, kit. I can see you perfectly well; you are not my concern. I have come for the girl."

Kimitsukiko turned to Kagome then, and she spoke deftly, using Sesshomaru's name to get around any defiance that might have been offered.

"Sesshomaru has given me leave to take her; he has need of certain permissions only I can give him."

Her eyes remained fixed on Rin and Kagome found that oddly disturbing. She had expected that the female had come to have her arm restored; she had been preparing for the sensation of the healing energy, for the feeling of sick weakness that came from having her blood flow so freely from her body-and for the scolding Sesshomaru would give her afterward. And instead...Rin? That stare – she did not like that stare!

Kimitsukiko asked a question when Kagome said nothing and made no move to offer the girl.

"Tell me, mate of my son – why would you call this girl-child by that name?"

"Rin?"

Kagome did not hide her confusion. The situation was becoming stranger by the second.

"It...as far as I know, it's her name. Right, Rin?"

Rin nodded.

"Yes, okaa-san. That has been my name since before Sesshomaru-sama found me."

There was a very strange expression growing on Kimitsukiko's face.

"My son did not give you that name himself, girl?"

Rin shook her head emphatically.

"No, Lady Mother of Sesshomaru-sama. The okaa-san that made me get born named me Rin."

Delicately, the Lady Mother of Sesshomaru-sama lifted one eyebrow.

"And with which character do you write your name, _Rin_?"

Rin flushed pink and lost her reserved and cautious expression, but Shippou leapt forward in her defense before she could get out a word.

"Rin can't write; leave her alone!"

It was a sharp, vehement reaction that startled all the females in the room; even Rin was confused, but Shippou, like all Kitsune, was an opportunist. He loved his new sister and he had sworn certain things to her during their recent secretive sibling-talks...but he was not above using a little trickery to get out of the promises he didn't like.

_Bad promises don't count. 'Kaa-san taught me that!_

Kagome looked only confused, which he had counted on – the other female, though, had a strange, obscure expression of disapproval on her face, and he suddenly found himself hoping that his little plan didn't backfire. Since Rin had first mentioned to him that she could not read or write, he had been plotting to _adjust _the situation; he didn't think it was fair that she hadn't been allowed to learn just because she was human.

Still, despite Shippou's...ferocity, Kimitsukiko seemed undaunted.

"Girl, I will not have you -"

"Uh, Lady-Mother of Sesshomaru-sama?"

Shippou used the address hopefully, and held up the very end of the picture scroll so that she could see the title of _'Rin Monogatari'. _

"If...if you only need the character for her name, you can look at this! When I wrote Rin's name for her pictures, I used the character for _park - _like...trees and flowers and stuff, right, 'kaa-san?"

He turned to Kagome as he said the last half of his sentence, and was pleased by her approving nod.

"Yes, Shippou, very good. I think _park_ is an appropriate character for Rin's _Rin_."

For whatever reason, Shippou's explanation seemed to soothe Kimitsukiko; the fact that he was, and always had been youkai probably helped. Her eyes exchanged their fixed stare on Rin for a searching look at the room, and there was a calculating gleam in her gaze. She focused on Kagome, her protective stance and the way her body was angled to shield the girl and the kit both – her eyes slid to the kit, himself ready to do whatever he could for the human he now claimed as family...but of course that would, apparently, be nothing new to this little one.

And the girl herself; this...Rin, written as _park_. Once, a long, long time before, before he had ever been her mate, the Inu no Taisho had teased her in letters and at Council with that name, _Rin_, saying that hers was too long. When he had written it, he had used the character that means severity - coldness. She had never denied it, but at the same time she had not liked the eagerness with which he made fun of her stoic poise. It had become...like a love-name to her, a sacred memory of lost days. To find that this girl-child bore that name – why hadn't she ever noticed before?

_The kami are mocking me. _He_ is mocking me – he is dead, but it is his fault, I know it! _

"Girl – _Rin _- my son has asked for my approval, because he seeks to add your name to this House; he seeks to claim you as his daughter, to make for you a place here that none may Challenge without cause. I..."

Kimitsukiko stood tall, and looked straight down at the girl. Her gaze pierced Rin like needles; in the few moments that she had to look into Rin's eyes she saw a medley of confusing thoughts and sensations, a desire that would never be fulfilled and a loyalty and courage that had been tempered in hell. She was...surprised. More than surprised – astonished. But the girl noticed none of this; she was floating on the demon Lady's words, and all she heard was their simple conclusion.

"I will allow it. But - "

The others in the room, even Kagome, drew in a collective breath.

"I must be assured that you intend to put forth the effort necessary of _any_ daughter of this house. You must be instructed in the art of words as well as many other things. I intend to make this _quite_ clear to my son."

Thoughtfully, as if something had just occurred to her, she turned her gaze on Kagome and smiled slyly.

"Mate of my son, since I cannot get rid of you, it seems in my best interest to have you as an ally. Would you like to accompany me? I have no desire to spend longer about this business than I must; the next few days are sure to be...exhausting.

It took a moment, but slowly, Kagome's mouth curved upward into an expression that matched Kimitsukiko's.

"Mother of my mate, I would be delighted to accept such an invitation. Perhaps we could explain these things to him..._together_."

Kagome patted Shippou on the head and smiled reassuringly at Rin as she went out the door behind her mother-in-law. Shippou bounced excitedly; his little ruse had gone much, _much _better than he had hoped! He contemplated for a moment, and then grinned widely and rushed toward the door.

"Rin, do you want to come with me? I'm going to watch!"

Rin was still dazed by her bewildering good fortune.

"...Watch?"

"Sesshomaru is going to get yelled by his okaa-san and by our okaa-san! It'll be the funniest thing _ever_!"

"Shippou should not laugh at Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshomaru-sama is going to be Rin's new otou-sama!"

Rin hugged herself tightly and smiled a brilliant smile; Shippou tilted his head to one side and looked at her strangely.

"You mean...but wasn't he already? Anyway, I'm going! You can stay if you don't want to watch - I'll tell you what happens!"

He was off running after that, chasing Kagome's scent through the corridors. Rin waited only half a moment before she called after him, her footsteps eagerly following after his.

"Shippou! Wait, Shippou!"

* * *

A/N:So...there was a scene. It was four paragraphs long, like three hundred words...nothing scary. AND THEN IT BECAME THIS CHAPTER. AHHHHHH! What was originally going to be this chapter is now...the next chapter. But obviously I couldn't post _that_ until _this_ was done...and for that I apologize. Profusely. Because it took FOREVER, and me having four classes this summer didn't help. Last final: saturday. Results: Aced it! Woot! So...other results? CHAPTERS FOR EVERYONE! Ahem. Anyway, at least I got to finish the revisions; all the chapters prior to this one are now in their final, edited, and most tasty forms! :D

Coming soon: Sesshomaru Does Indeed Get Yelled At By His Mother, and Kagome Finally Gets Some...Information, people, Information. Heh. And Now...Reviews!

Kouga's Older Woman: As long as your mother-in-law didn't actually try to murder you! Kagome only has to suffer that because she's fictional. And under my control! (poor Kagome!)

BlueTwilite: Much Thanks! It took forever, but...I'm back!

lunarcat12: Ah yes, Kagome kicking ass! Always fun – but seriously, the window bit? It came to me in a dream, _really really_. I was falling asleep while writing, and Kagome fell out the window. But really, it's my favorite part of the chapter too! Soon though...well...soon is...relative, right? :P I shall endeavor to be – not slow!

anime-90210: continue? Of course! I am occasionally slow, but I always return! Much thanks for your review!

Anime Lady PIMP: Of course she is! Look at what she does through the whole series – shoot lots of youkai with arrows and make them into dust! Killer Kagome, hear her...well, Inu don't really roar, I suppose :D More sooner than the last time took! (does that make sense?)

SammyKoru: Much thanks for your review – sorry to make you wait so long, but real life...eh, its annoying. More...coming soon!

Inuyasha's God sis: Ooo, compliment! Much thanks; more chapters much sooner!

Angel of Blood: Presenting...one update! Took a while, but my world is on fire...annoying, that. :D Much thanks!

The-Devil'z-Angel: Thanks very much for your wonderful comment and critique! I hate missing those repetitions – it drives me _nuts! _I have, however, just finished posting the revised versions of all the chapters prior to this one, so hopefully I cleared some of that out!

AMUTOLOVER09: Don't feel bad – it takes you two months to read it, and me two months to write it, so we're perfectly in sync! :P Actually, I'm just really, really slow – but it sounds like your world was on fire just as much as mine was! And...old hags? KILL THEM ALL! I was visited by old hags that tried to convert me – _really scary!_

Sharae: Ah, you are lucky! Other reviewers waited forever, but you, magically, are rewarded...almost at once! Heh! Much thanks for your review; more soon!


	29. XXIX: Confessions Of A Savage Soul

XXIX

Confessions Of A Savage Soul

* * *

In the low, stone buildings behind the main body of the fortress, Sesshomaru kept, as his father had, a menagerie of dangerous and deadly youkai. More beast than demon, without conscience or consciousness, some were useful – like the twin-headed dragon Rin had named Aa-Un – and others merely killers. Those killers he kept for days like today, days without an enemy upon which he could vent his fury.

He was waiting now to see what would be brought for him to sharpen his claws on; his fingers twitched in anticipation.

It was not often that he indulged his bloodlust so unequivocally; his nature was inherently violent but he did not like to kill without reason, whether _reason _was the hunt, or vengeance, or insulted honor...but he had succumbed to the temptation because he was angry, very angry, and without an outlet for that anger his mother's presence near him became more dangerous every moment.

Rage had been growing in him since the moment she had first appeared outside the Wall, but there was something beyond anger thathad risen to prominence while he had watched her attempt to spill Kagome's blood. The fact that his mate had been victorious did not subdue his feelings; she had won by chance, by the unsteady flux of her power. If that power had not obeyed her -as, apparently, it sometimes did not - what then?

_I could not have intervened. _

He almost found himself wishing, for a single moment, that she was still human. She would not have been worthy of a youkai's Challenges then. Only he would have had to fight, only he -

_But they killed my father. Somehow, some way, they would find a way to kill me, too. And then her. I am not invulnerable; stronger than any of them, yes, but not all of them. Kinawai had the right of that._

Sesshomaru let out a long, slow breath, and then turned his head to the sound of approaching, familiar footsteps.

_About time._

It was Jaken who was in charge of his _stables _now. He had been immersed in his new work since Sesshomaru had returned here bearing Kagome and the squawking Toad had dared to question him, displeased and infuriated by her presence.

His reaction had, perhaps, been an _over_reaction, but Sesshomaru found his life increasingly pleasant in the absence of Jaken's grating personality, and his once-retainer (despite grumblings to the contrary) seemed equally pleased by his new position. It made use of Jaken's talents and kept him out of Sesshomaru's way. Sesshomaru had always been of the opinion that Jaken was much too fearful of him to make a good retainer.

Even as he thought it, there was audible trembling behind him.

"Sesshomaru-dono! Please forgive the delay; the Challenge ground has been made ready, and a beast is waiting as you requested - "

"Go before me."

He cut Jaken off mid-sentence, and the Toad scurried ahead immediately; Sesshomaru followed more slowly, projecting an unhurried aura that was far from the truth.

Despite his inner distress, he was pleased with what he saw when they reached their destination. The Challenge ground had been smoothed and cleaned so that the requisite circle of bare earth, nearly six hundred feet across, was flat and even. He had ordered much-needed maintenance be performed on this place, not for the nerve-soothing combat he sought now, but as a _just in case_ measure. In two days time at this hour the ground in front of him was likely to be soaked with red.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes against the whirlwind of mental images that were stirred up by that single thought. It was not difficult for him to imagine Kagome here, the flesh beneath her skin laid bare by rage and power – the scent of her blood was still on the air, a fresh and untainted reminder that he did not need.

_I will not let it happen._

He walked behind Jaken on the narrow stone path that led into the Challenge ring, and stopped just at the edge. In the center, small-looking in the open space, was something unexpected - a nekomata he had captured in an almost-war with his father's surviving enemies, decades prior. It was an ice-white beast with all the obvious feline features; blue-white smoke twined about its paws, frosting the bare ground as it struggled against the chains holding it in place.

With a raised eyebrow, Sesshomaru turned back to Jaken.

"_This_ is what you have brought to fight me? I slaughtered dozens of these in battle."

Nervously, Jaken's fingers scrabbled across each other as he bowed repeatedly.

"Forgive me, Sesshomaru-dono! The creature is not challenging to fight for one such as yourself, of course not – but I have _altered_ the beast somewhat, and I was told it has been fed well for many seasons to increase its power. Would Sesshomaru-dono like to know what -"

"No. Perhaps that will make this more interesting."

Without further words, Sesshomaru strode forward. Regardless of possible danger, he began stripping away the restraining chains, undoing them two and three at a time. When he had unfastened all but the last pair, the nekomata let out a restrained roar and redoubled its struggles. Metal links burst and the chains flailed wildly for a moment as the beast escaped its bonds and darted immediately for the nearest living creature, seeking to express half a hundred years worth of imprisoned wrath.

Unfortunately for it, the nearest living creature was Sesshomaru. Smoothly, he dodged out of the way of the beast's first blow, the swipe of a lethally-clawed paw - and then again, as another roar escaped the nekomata's throat accompanied by a blast of black, crackling lightning.

It struck the ground where he had been standing, and dissipated into the earth. Sesshomaru flexed his claws and allowed himself the tiniest and most predatory of smirks.

_Interesting._

He did not recall these beasts possessing such power; what had Jaken done?

Another flare of lightning shot towards him, interrupting his thoughts. Sesshomaru judged coolly and moved only one hand. Black lightening met the green glow of dokkasou, screeched, and shattered. Sesshomaru stood unmoved – but so did the beast.

Errant drops of acidic toxin splashed against the nekomata's snow-shaded fur, and bounced away. For a moment, confused, Sesshomaru only stared...and then, slowly, exposed his fangs in a full and glittering smile

_Altered, indeed._

It appeared that the many weeks of special attention Jaken had given to this one had been worthwhile. If the nekomata was truly invulnerable to Sesshomaru's _dokkasou_, then the weapons available to him were limited; this became a battle of brute strength and raw speed instead of _power_.

_Which is just what I wanted._

Swiftly, he darted forward under the reach of striking claws and dealt a sharp blow; blood flowed, dark and thick, and the beast screamed its anger and its pain. As Sesshomaru twisted, slipping to one side, the nekomata reared up and slashed at him with both of its front paws; Sesshomaru was faster, darting around behind it and then leaping up and over. Again, his claws dug into the white fur; again, the snowy pelt was darkened to burgundy.

Wounded in one shoulder and now carrying the marks of savage claws across its back, the nekomata retreated four steps and issued a challenging growl; animal cunning glittered suddenly in the blue-black eyes, a hunter's intelligence wakened fully in the face of death. Sesshomaru stepped cautiously, watching that flicker of cleverness warily.

Without warning, lightning arced and coruscated just in front of his feet, made him leap back, and then struck again on his right. He was just barely quick enough to elude the second blast; he heard the air whine as slashing claws targeted his left side, made vulnerable by the way he had leapt aside to dodge.

A few strands of hair drifted towards the ground as Sesshomaru pivoted on his right foot. He felt dampness on his cheek, and reached up a hand to touch a welling of red from a single, shallow cut. In a moment it was closed over and only the thin line of blood remained, but Sesshomaru leapt backwards, surprised and irritated.

_I am more distracted than I thought. Father would be laughing at me now, blooded by a nekomata!_

The fight was not helping as he had hoped; it was time for it to be over. In a blur, Sesshomaru darted across the open space.

Anticipating his attack, the beast stepped back, but now that Sesshomaru had decided to end it there was no avoiding his sudden and fatal strike. There was a single howl, cut off quickly. For a moment, four glittering claws were visible through the rich red stains marring the nekomata's creamy throat, and then he stepped back.

Distastefully, Sesshomaru shook blood from his claws and let out a long breath_. _A minute or so passed, and he stared at the ground, at the pools collecting around the body of the beast, at the marks of his claws in its still flesh. He did not feel any differently; the memory of the afternoon was still as fresh and painful as before.

A scowl darkened his face, and he was hard pressed to shake it off.

As he deliberated on the thousand things that had disturbed his peaceful, solitary life, he heard leaves rustle in warning, the telltale sound of Kagome's familiar footsteps – and beside them, the near-silent whisper of his mother's approach. Immediately he stood straighter, flexed his fingers and heard his knuckles crack.

_The two of them – together? There was no need for Mother to approach Kagome – all she needed to do was find Rin, and see...whatever she needed to see. Unless – unless Kagome was with Rin, and..._

Several unpleasant scenarios made their way through his thoughts, but the worst of them he discarded because the two females came without the scent of blood. None of his ideas, however, touched on even the possibility that the two of them might not be at odds with each other, but rather with him.

If he _had_ considered it, he would probably have labeled the thought '**worst nightmare**' - and then locked it away forever.

* * *

It was the death-howls that signaled Sesshomaru's victory which led Kagome and Kimitsukiko to him. Once it became clear to her which way they were going, Kimitsukiko knew their destination and moved more quickly. Kagome followed her in silence, unwilling to test the uneasy alliance that had sprung up between them – over Rin, of all things.

_I would've thought she'd be angry...that she wouldn't allow it. Don't youkai hate humans? Doesn't _she _hate humans? And Sesshomaru...I know he cares for her, that's obvious to anyone, but to adopt her? A human girl..._

Half a minute later, the two females broke through the concealing foliage, and looked out over the flat, empty space of the Challenge ground. Kimitsukiko was quick to eye the remains of Sesshomaru's fight with a look of distaste; Kagome's face barely concealed her excited interest as she ran her gaze over the smooth ground. She hadn't known there was a place like this within the walls; couldn't he have helped her practice, taught her how to fight _before_ anything happened?

But Kimitsukiko had no interest, and no patience. She had seen it all before.

"Sesshomaru, was it absolutely necessary that you be waiting _here_? And what is _that_?"

His mother pointed with one claw at the bloody mess on the ground, and Kagome peered forward and then shuddered, crossed her arms tightly across her chest.

"That was a nekomata; now it is...not. Have you made your decision, mother?"

Sesshomaru's eyes moved over Kagome curiously, and then fixed on his mother's face.

She stepped around him and the dead youkai with swift and careless grace; she appeared to be contemplating, though Kagome knew she had already made her decision. It was amusing to see Sesshomaru waiting impatiently for someone's _permission_.

Kagome was forced to restrain a burst of laughter, and Kimitsukiko was in no mood to have pity on her son.

"My decision..."

"Yes."

He said it with forced calm; even Kagome could detect his unease, and the laughter she was holding back slipped out of her control. She clapped her hands over her mouth as the tiny giggle escaped, and turned her back to Sesshomaru immediately; even so, she could detect both his scowl and Kimitsukiko's faint amusement.

"Tell me, my son - what is it about this _Rin..."_

She paused on the name long enough to make him squirm with discomfort, and then continued as though she had not stopped.

"...that makes her worthy of a place in this House, this family? She is human; she does not know our ways, she does not belong among us! Better that you should find her a place with her own kind. Your mate has human friends; give the girl to them!"

A flicker of red, a promise of violence that was still too close to the surface - the result of his unsatisfactory fight - bloomed in Sesshomaru's eyes. The _feeling_ involved entered Kagome's awareness like a thread of flame, and she turned back quickly to look at him. She was not sure what was going on, here – Kimitsukiko's words were still clear in her thoughts, the delicate permission: _"I will allow it." _

"You know already all the answers to your questions, mother. I gave them to you once already when I told you my intentions; _you_ desired to speak to the girl yourself -"

"And I have done so! Tell me, Sesshomaru – how have you prepared this girl? She knows nothing of youkai tradition or custom, cannot possibly understand what a position in this family would mean for her! The girl is not even of noble birth among _humans_ – she is the daughter of some peasant, you can see it in her face! I asked the child for her name, but she does not know it except as a sound; she cannot read or write...disgraceful, to have such a child claim the name of this House!"

Suddenly, Kagome understood. Kimitsukiko could not demand an instructor for Rin, lessons or training or tutors. To do so would express some approval on her part which she was unwilling to bestow. Rather, she would accomplish everything that she wanted with the appearance of an opposite motive – perhaps her own true motive. Insult Rin's intelligence, her value, and force Sesshomaru to prove that the girl was worthwhile; make clear to him Rin's ignorance, and how it made her unsuitable, and he would necessarily have to correct the problem.

There was only one difficulty, as far as Kagome was concerned; Kimitsukiko had asked for her _help _in confronting Sesshomaru, and there was no way that Kagome could belittle Rin like that. She _knew _that the girl was intelligent, talented, knowledgeable; in fact, it was more than likely that Rin knew more about the real lives of youkai than she herself did...

_Ah! Of course!_

"Sesshomaru, your mother is right."

Both of them, mother and son, ceased glaring at each other and turned to look at Kagome instead. Sesshomaru's voice, carefully controlled as it was, still gave her a shiver.

"Oh?"

The utter coldness of his single syllable almost silenced her. _Almost_.

"Yes! Think about it – she can't be any more prepared then I am, Sesshomaru, but at least I _look_ youkai. I mean – I _am_ youkai, but...I don't know anything yet about how to _be_ what I _am_. I know some youkai history now, and sometimes I _think_ I am thinking like a demon, but -"

"Kagome, the circumstances are not the same. It is hard enough for me to find someone who might tutor _you_ in youkai custom without asking too many questions. I have been trying, but I have not mentioned it to you because my attempts have been fruitless. For a similar reason, I have been unable to find an appropriate teacher for Rin. Certainly_ I_ am not prepared to do such a thing -"

"Sesshomaru! What is the meaning of this? Why did I hear nothing about your _attempts_ to find such an individual?"

Sesshomaru turned away from Kagome to face his mother again, a scowl growing on his face.

_Why do I feel like this is a set-up?_

"Perhaps, mother, you heard nothing because it did not concern you."

"Did not concern me? You come to me, asking that I bestow my permission, that I allow this human into-"

"Mother! I am doing this for her protection, no other reason. Rin is mine, whether the mark of this House is on her or not, but that mark will make her place obvious to everyone."

"And what is her place, Sesshomaru? What is the place of this girl in the House of the Inu no Taisho? She is uneducated and unskilled!"

The verbal prodding was finally too much. Sesshomaru had been pushed to his limits; his voice escaped in a controlled roar.

"She is _human_! She has no need -"

"_What_?"

It was Kagome's turn for an angry interruption.

"What is it you're saying, Sesshomaru? She's human, so she doesn't need to learn? She's human, so she should spend the rest of her life ignorant and barefoot, running around after you?"

The corners of Kimitsukiko's lips turned up in an invisible smile; Sesshomaru stared at his mate in utter confusion, and then looked back and forth between the two females. He wondered if he should try to answer...or if answering would be bad for his health.

"Kagome..."

Her eyes glinted at him. He sighed; he looked briefly in his mother's direction, but she only gave him a self-satisfied smile and he knew she would be no help.

"Kagome, you must try to understand. Humans and youkai...and she has never seemed to care."

"She does care! And you – did you consider, once I came here, that _I _could teach her? Did you think about that?"

His look of sudden and lasting surprise proved that he hadn't.

"But I didn't even know! Shippou had to tell me – and you should be glad he said something, you - "

One of her claws wavered threateningly in his direction, and then poked him sharply in the chest.

Momentarily, he glared at her, and then turned his baleful stare in his mother's direction.

"I know this is all your fault, mother. I am not amused. If it is what you think is necessary, I will find some way to give Rin the appropriate...training. Is that satisfactory?"

Without making it obvious, Kagome turned so that she could watch the other female out of the corner of her eye. With the same words she had used in front of the children, Kimitsukiko nodded haughtily and gave her permission.

"I will allow it."

Kagome let out a sigh of relief; as much as she had been replaying those words in her head, she had begun to wonder if Kimitsukiko had actually meant them. But Sesshomaru thought that he understood what Kagome did not, the finer implications of that specific phrase – the intent implicit in that word, _allow._ His mother would not stand in his way; perhaps she knew how futile that would be. At the same time, she did not mean to offer him any support; she might, in fact, offer a portrait of reluctance in the face of _others_ who were likely to take issue with his decision.

_I have made it clear already that I will fight to protect Rin; that I will kill for her sake. That will have to be enough._ _There will certainly be enough other distractions..._

Abruptly, he was restored to his first and worst fear; clammy presentiments of violence crawled over his skin. He looked down at the ground, red and stained, and then up again at Kagome's face. Nothing in his experience had prepared him for his own shattering feelings; he wondered if when they passed, there would be anything left behind.

"Kagome, come with me now."

He turned away from the gore and caught hold of her arm as she moved to follow him; she glanced apologetically at his mother, but he gave her opportunity time for politeness or goodbye.

There was no time left.

* * *

Hidden in the bushes, watching each movement carefully, gathering each word to his own ears, Shippou restrained himself from dancing gleefully and instead smiled widely at the flowers that kept him hidden, and at the girl who was hiding beside him.

He had known that Kagome would be angry to find out that Sesshomaru would not let Rin learn, but Rin had made him promise not to say anything that might come between her new mother and _Sesshomaru-sama_. In a way, he knew Rin was right – but at the same time, he believed in Kagome's apparent invulnerability to Sesshomaru's violence; he believed in her beauty, and her charm, and her flashing, terrible temper.

Once – just once, he had wanted to see that temper turned on Sesshomaru – and he had been witness to not only Kagome's anger, but that of Sesshomaru's own mother. It had been just as funny as he thought; the expression of consternation on Sesshomaru's face was utterly priceless, a memory he would treasure forever. Beside him, even Rin had been forced to hold back giggles, despite her disapproval of anyone who might disagree with her Sesshomaru-sama.

As Sesshomaru departed, and Kagome with him, Shippou took hold of Rin's arm and held her utterly still, a warning finger on his lips. He had no desire to interact further with Sesshomaru's mother; her character had been impressed on him thoroughly in their short meeting and he sensed in her a waiting aura of violence almost equal to her son's. He didn't want to tempt that violence into the open; he was sure she would be unimpressed with his eavesdropping.

Still, he was pleased.

_Lessons for Rin! I win! _

When Kimitsukiko had gone her own way, the pair of conspirators crept out of the bushes and ran back towards the fortress.

"Rin, now that you have permission maybe we can learn together."

"You are far ahead, Shippou! I won't -"

"Then come on; I can show you what I know, and then you will be ready!"

* * *

Sesshomaru pulled Kagome along behind him, down hallways and up stairs, past familiar rooms and into a wing of the fortress she had not yet explored. He stopped finally at what looked like a dead end; as lamps on the walls around them flickered into life, she thought they had stopped at a black rock wall. After a moment, Kagome realized that it was an enormous door, a single great piece of dark stone that gleamed as if with oil. She touched it, and her eyes widened; it was cold under her fingers and smooth as glass.

_Obsidian!_

Sesshomaru stood still beside her. As if afraid that they might have been followed, he waited for the darkness to become dimness. Stuttering flames painted the stone with red light and shadows, and he listened carefully, one palm raised cautioning Kagome to be silent.

A minute passed, and then he turned to the door. He wrapped the fingers of both hands around the edge of the door, and _pulled_; the scent of blood struck her nose almost immediately. The edge of the black glass had cut his palms.

Wide-eyed, she saw blue light rising out of the stone, illuminating Sesshomaru's spilled blood. His eyes narrowed, the only visible sign of his great effort, and slowly, as the light subsided, the enormous stone began to slide to the right. When half of it had disappeared into the wall, he stopped and held it still.

"Inside, Kagome. _Now_."

He spoke quietly, but his voice was strained; without argument, she walked quickly past him and into the darkness. She was awed by his strength, and for the first time she wondered if similar potential was waiting, unsuspected, in her own muscles. In a moment he was beside her, and she turned quickly, startled, as the huge door crashed shut with a boom. The sound echoed in the dark passage and she covered her ears reflexively.

_So loud!_

"Follow me."

"Where are we?"

He took her hand and pulled her along again, turning quickly at unexpected times, following a path she was sure she could never have remembered in daylight, never mind in the dark.

"Sesshomaru -"

"Not yet; wait, Kagome."

He continued to lead her along for a while, and then the walls disappeared from around them, and Sesshomaru stopped. He spoke sharply, but not to her, a single word:

"Light."

There was a rustle of obedience, and the smell of some aromatic oil preceded the flicker of flames, illuminating a roughly circular chamber that gleamed with the same glassy texture as the stone door that had let them in.

"More obsidian – Sesshomaru, what is this place?"

He came close to her and touched her face, her hair,

"It is a place my mother cannot find us."

One of his hands stroked her ribs beneath her left breast; his forehead puckered in concern.

"Your wounds -"

"Better now. Almost completely healed, I was...surprised."

His fingers probed gently, and she endured without protest, confused but pleased. There was only one tender spot, and he nodded with satisfaction.

"Good. You have good reflexes...and good instincts. It would be bad if your flesh did not have the capacity to keep up."

"Good instincts! Right..."

She shook her head, amused.

"Well, anyway, what are we doing in here? It's...kind of pretty, actually, but I'm afraid to sit down – and I _don't_ understand why we had to come all the way in the dark -"

He looked at her seriously.

"So you would not the know the way back and be tempted to run away."

"You – you can't be _serious!_"

He nodded slowly; Kagome wasn't sure whether to be angry or laugh. Why did it seem that those were the only reactions she was capable of lately? She _remembered_ having other feelings, but he was just – so infuriating!

"Why would I run away? Haven't you got it through your head yet that I'm not going anywhere? I'm not going back to the village, and I'm _definitely_ not going back to my time – I want to stay here with you, and -"

"But you don't know what I've done – what I'm planning to do."

He shook his head slowly; the lamplight highlighted flecks of red and brassy color in his eyes, and but for the smoke from the lamps she could have sworn there was the faintest twitch of fear in his scent.

_I must be imagining it._

His words, though – she knew she hadn't imagined those. He had done something...was doing something? Kagome planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him; whatever it was, it was time he confessed.

"Enough secrets, Sesshomaru! I have a right to know what you're planning, since it so _obviously_ involves me -"

"Yes. Enough secrets. Kagome..."

He turned to look at her and she was silenced by the expression on his face, how lost and confused he seemed; it was utterly unlike him, somehow both terrifying and reassuring.

"Kagome, you are my mate."

She blinked.

"Yes, I know that. You told me -"

"But do you know what it _means_?"

He shook his head slowly and reached out his hands toward her; she stood for a moment, looking at him, and then reached forward and took them, stepped close to him.

"I have done a terrible thing, Kagome, because I thought there was no choice; you will be marked in a way that cannot be undone, you will be mine forever...but you don't understand."

"Then _help_ me. You have to help me, Sesshomaru; who do you think is going to do it if you don't? You made me what I am; help me understand."

He took a deep breath; his eyes never left her face. Kagome felt like he was searching her for something, peering into the corners of her being, seeking out...

_What? What are you looking for...Sesshomaru?_

"You do not know, Kagome, how much I care for you...how that feeling has affected me, my decisions, my thoughts. Today - this afternoon...she is my mother, Kagome, she gave me birth and for that I owe her as great a debt as I have ever owed anyone. It has kept her alive many times, and...I cannot deny that she has been of aid to me, once or twice."

Steely tones penetrated his voice.

"Despite this, I tell you now that if she ever threatens violence against you again I will kill her myself! Anyone, anyone who tries to touch you...Kagome, you do not know what you have done, opening this feeling in me!"

His eyes were wide, empty; it was a disturbing sight.

"I asked you once – now you tell me, if there is something else it could be besides - ! Something else...what is it, Kagome? If it something else, I know you could name it, this feeling! When you were fighting her there was fire in my veins...and despite that, I could do nothing, could not stop forward, could not defend you! The thought that - that - "

The awareness of something extraordinary was building in Kagome's eyes.

"_That_ - but that is – that is - _that_ is -"

He cut her off with a savage gesture, gripped her fingers so tightly that she wondered momentarily why they were not broken.

"That is hell!"

Kagome swayed under the force of his words, their power. Was it _possible_?

_For me -_

The same hungry feeling was in her now as when he had torn Kinawai away from her all those days ago. For a moment her lips burned with the memory, but Sesshomaru had regained some mastery of his vicious feelings and his words dragged her down from desire to darkness.

"I did not intend to use such strong words with you...not yet, not now. I thought that what I said before...I thought that would be enough. Did you not believe me, despite your words of trust? You must know, you _must _believe me, or I do not think you will survive what is coming."

She took a step closer to him at that, seemed to seek shelter in his presence, his tangible strength.

"What's...what's coming?"

Kagome looked up at his face as she spoke, but wished she hadn't; there was more than a little of the old coldness in his face, the old mask.

"Sesshomaru..."

Abruptly, he let her go and turned away; she could see the tenseness in him, heavy on his back, tight on his shoulders. His admission and all it implied weighed heavily on him, but there was something more. She was almost frightened by the thought; what could be _more_ than what he had already said?

"I have not been open with you, Kagome. This is not because I wish to deceive you, but because I could not - because I still can not find the words to tell you what it is that you need to know."

"What I - "

And she nodded slowly.

"This is about that - that _presentation_. You haven't told me anything about it, and there've been no clues in all that reading -"

"Yes. Your presentation. Kagome...it is important. More important than you can know - and dangerous. "

"Dangerous?"

The word popped out of her; but she found herself unsurprised. She had known there must be _something_ holding him back, because otherwise she couldn't imagine why he wouldn't want to tell her, why he had so pointedly avoided any and all references to the subject...why he had dragged her into this obscure and hidden place.

"Kagome, the reason I have not killed my mother already is because she made known to me this thing...this terrible thing. I cannot interfere in Challenge; anyone who seeks to battle against you may do so, and _I couldn't interfere_. Certainly, I could take vengeance, but that would not help you - you would be dead. My mother held back greatly fighting you, I don't think she even intended to wound you as much as she did, but your inexperience is as dangerous to you as your opponent's skill. The power that saved you, your miko strength - it is not completely under your control."

She hesitated, and then sighed. She could not lie to him.

"I can feel it like...like threads, when I heal a demon - and in my arrows I can always bring out the power...and _sometimes_ -"

"Yes. And _sometimes_ - that is no good, Kagome. There is nothing I can do now, nothing I can do to prevent what may happen...it is too late for postponement, for change. Kagome, tomorrow..."

He took a deep breath. Many things flashed through his head in that moment, the things that would soon start to happen to her – the family she still had to meet, the females who would seek to break her bond with him, the Ink that would mark her forever...if she lived long enough.

"Tomorrow night, many things will begin. If I have been successful - _if_ - then perhaps you will not be in danger."

He eyed her for a moment.

"I told my mother you would heal her; I also told her I would not allow you to do so until after all this is over."

As he had expected, she protested immediately, confused by the non-sequitur intrusion.

"But...Sesshomaru -"

"You will not disobey."

Clipped, sharp, his words silenced her.

"The day after - that is soon enough. As it is, those who ask her how she was wounded will look to you, and be frightened. Her strength is known; those who find out you defeated her will be less willing to test your strength."

She sighed.

"If you think - if you think it is really necessary."

"I do. Kagome..."

He shook his head slowly and his voice grew low and urgent.

"If I had been thinking I would have taken longer to prepare you, but Kinawai and all his whispers have moved me faster than my wont."

Her brow furrowed, and he made his decision in that moment.

"Your Presentation is...the Presentation is a marking ceremony, the end of the Rite that is the oldest of the old ways, the Rite that begins with the Chase. By tradition, the females of your House would sit with you through the last days of the waning moon, preparing you to leave them. This cannot be done for you; you have no mother or sisters to come and stay by your side."

He did not miss the flicker of sadness on her face at that, but there was nothing he could do for her; he could not evade the boundaries of time.

"It is for this reason that I have summoned the kin who remain to me. There will be plenty of females to sit with you, and they will tell you things – you must try not to act too surprised, Kagome."

She nodded slowly; she was listening hard, absorbing every word. She had been waiting for him to tell her things like this – why did he have to wait until the last minute?

"When the dark is full on the night of no moon, you will choose one from among them to Mark you with the Ink. It is more than just color to mark your skin; it is made with blood and the roots of a black flower whose name I do not know. It is to open the way between us; it will make the bond we share a permanent thing, something that cannot be undone, cannot be severed.

He touched the crescent on his forehead, held her gaze.

"Once this mark is cut into your skin, there is no turning back. Have you felt them, the threads that connect us?"

Her eyebrows contracted for a moment, and then her expression cleared.

"You mean - I haven't been hallucinating? There's really something...but it's - it's _you_! It really is..."

He felt her awareness sharpening, the tenuous link between them solidifying as she consciously accessed its potential.

"Yes. It will aid you, that bond; it joins us, Inu to Inu. It will grow strong with the Ink, and with time...but forever is much longer than you think, Kagome."

Kagome took a deep breath and let it out slowly; this was a great deal more than she had expected.

"Tell me the rest, Sesshomaru."

His gaze flickered away from her and then back.

"You...will show you are mine. When you are close to me, the Ink will awaken you, awaken the Inu and the desires of a mate... and then the Rite will be over and they will leave us, if we are lucky. In the morning we will be alone and you will be safe."

"And if we are not lucky?"

She saw tenseness move through his muscles – not quite a shiver, but a disturbed flexing of uncertain strength.

"I do not know."

It was not the most reassuring answer.

* * *

A/N: Aha! Behold how not slow I am! Woohoo! And I've even started working on the next chapter already, in which Kagome meets the family and finally gets a taste of what's in store for her – and in which an unexpected visitor arrives! No, it's not Naraku. Wouldn't that just be _awful_? Aha...anyways, on to reviews!

AMUTOLOVER09: much thanks; Sesshomaru is a _pain_, but I love him that way, ha!

Anime Lady PIMP: Ah yes...bonding, when families come together and leave in pieces...ha!

IceCweamWuver: Yay! Shippou! If I were him, I'd be laughing too – and running. Laughing and running. Glad you like the story, more soon!

kouga's older woman: Well, if my daughter-in-law had the ability to turn me to dust, I'd try to get along too, wouldn't you? Never mind the fact that Sesshomaru is not the happiest person in the world when his mother tries to kill his mate! I'm so happy everyone likes Shippou!

lunarcat12: Yes! Ha! Exactly! The really funny part is that he has no IDEA what's hitting him...until it keeps on hitting him over and over. Oh well...he doesn't get any pity, just made fun of :D

Miss Tessa: They are, they are! Only, usually, they don't try to kill you!

lara5170: Thanks for your great reviews! I'm honored by your compliments, and glad that you enjoy the story so much; it's refreshing to find someone who really likes my work and bothers to let me know why and how much! Your last review had some questions which I'll reply to directly – thanks again!

Angel of Blood: Much thanks – chapter, presented!

Mariisca: Thanks! Please continue to do so!


	30. XXX: Smoke Signals

XXX.

Smoke Signals

* * *

The sound of unseasonable thunder woke Kagome in the early afternoon. Startled, she sat bolt upright in bed and flailed for a moment, then sank back against her pillow and pressed her palms against her eyes. She lay still that way for a full minute, trying to calm her breathing and slow her heartbeat, taming a sudden but not inexplicable fear.

_Today. Tonight, in a few hours - _

A shudder ran through her, from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair. So far, she had met only a few of Sesshomaru's kin; Akira and Katsu, who had been summoned to _meet_ her all those days ago...and Kimitsukiko.

_The mother of my mate – _

Slowly, Kagome dropped her hands away from her face and sat up. It was the fifty-odd Inu she had yet to see that worried her, not the three she knew, but then again...

_They can't be any worse than _her_._

Reaching towards the ends of the bed, Kagome stretched and turned. She was alone now, though when she had gone to sleep Sesshomaru had come to lay beside her.

"I wonder how long he's...been up."

Her words were interrupted by a yawn, but she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood, stretching more thoroughly. With her fingers, she inspected the smooth surface of the skin over her ribs; no tenderness, not even a scar remained where the previous day's injuries had been.

There was a click, the sound of the door opening and closing, and Kagome felt the now-familiar presence of her unseen helper slide into the room. She was surprised when the wardrobe stayed shut; firm hands gripped her shoulders immediately and turned her towards a door in the corner of the room that she had never used.

"What's in there?"

The door opened in front of her; dampness wafted out of the dimness and Kagome stepped forward, saw stairs. She could smell steam; invisible fingers wrapped around her hands and tugged her gently down the first few steps. It got hotter the further they went; the stairs became obscured in mist, and at the bottom she stumbled. Only the fingers at her wrist kept her from falling forward into a pool of water and for the first time in many days she sensed laughter.

She had come to these springs before to bathe, but never down those particular stairs, and she was at the opposite end of the basement chamber that housed the maze of pools. Quickly, Kagome stripped out of her sleeping robe and made her way through. She let out a long sigh as she slid into her favorite, all the way underwater until she was completely covered. After a few moments she surfaced and wiped the water away from her eyes with her hands; another sigh escaped her as dexterous fingers began to wash her hair. There were some things about this place she _really_ liked.

_Time's almost up. A few hours..._

Just as the thought crossed her mind, there was a grinding, scraping noise overhead. She jumped up and almost leapt out of her bath, but the one washing her hair restrained her. Water splashed noisily but Kagome was distracted from her sudden worry by the _sight_ of the fingers that held her back. Though visible in outline only, there was a delicate, clawed hand on her shoulder, revealed by the soapsuds and drops of water.

"You – you're some_one_, not some_thing_ - "

Again, the laughter; but the grinding sound shuddered over them again and Kagome was again distracted. She could place that sound, knew it well.

_The gate!_

"Oh no...no, no, no, I'm not ready, not ready for this, not ready for _them_! What if they don't like me – what if they try to fight me, and I can't do it? What if -"

In her head she pictured dozens of Inu streaming in over her head and her muscles tensed; she was filled with an overwhelming desire to flee, to run from here and not look back. What did she care for youkai Councils, for ceremonies and rituals she didn't understand? Sesshomaru had not seen fit to explain; these were not _her_ rites!

In that moment, Kagome confronted the thing that Kinawai had seen, that Kimitsukiko had seen, and that both of them had told Sesshomaru; there was no way around it. The one behind her resumed the washing of her hair, but Kagome didn't notice. She sat very still, staring straight ahead.

The truth was that despite the great changes that had been wrought on her flesh, despite the visible alteration, she was _not_ youkai. Her heart and everything she believed in was still human. Only under the undeniable pressure of her instincts, only when violence possessed her did she come close to touching the real truth of her youkai nature.

She could _see _it, but she could not understand it; not yet.

What she saw helped to her to recognize the thing that had made Sesshomaru so uncomfortable, the thing that he had such difficulty putting into words. "Forever is longer than you think"; he had said it and Kagome felt that she was only just beginning to understand.

_He wants to make me like him; he wants me to become whatever it is that I am becoming, but he is afraid...that I will hate him when it is done. And he thinks that – that – he thinks his _feelings_ are - _

But she couldn't deal with that yet, couldn't face it. She was grateful that he had refrained from using the word she knew she wouldn't have been able to ignore – ;that he had not said he _loved _her. She wasn't sure what she would do if he said that; what she would say. As it was, things were difficult enough.

_I know he cares, I know it. There's no other reason for everything he's done, he's gone far beyond what that _urge_ required. He could have had me and killed me; he could have taken me and tossed me out, anything he wanted...it's not like I could fight him! But that's still – still different from - _

Love. What was it, anyway? She had thought she loved Inuyasha; she had sacrificed everything that had once made up her life to come back to this time, to travel, to fight...

It was selfish, but she had known even in the beginning that she wasn't coming back for the sake of the shikon no tama or the people of feudal Japan; she had come back for _him_.

But love had failed her; love had not been enough.

Sinking down in the water until only her eyes peered out over the surface, Kagome compared what she had felt _then_ with what she felt _now_. Were the two feelings so dissimilar? Was one stronger than the other? Did she know, really _know_, that it was love she was thinking of? Love, and Sesshomaru; did they even belong in the same thought?

_No, yes, and maybe. And...yes. _

With a start, she shook her head and then stood, sluicing herself off quickly.

"A towel, please! Let's get back upstairs so I can get dressed; I want to see what's going on!"

Anything to keep her from thinking those thoughts; anything to keep her distracted. Even her presentation and the thought of a hundred youkai wasn't as intimidating as her current emotional dilemma. Frustrated, Kagome stomped an angry foot and nearly tore her towel as she wrapped it around herself.

"Damn him! Why'd he have to say all that stuff _now_?"

* * *

In the dark of the early morning hours Sesshomaru had walked the grounds, checking that everything was in order, the pavilions swept and well lit, the blood washed from the Challenge ground. Now, as the sun was setting, the space between the gate and the door to the main hall was being covered in bolts of fine damask, embroidered with a pattern of falling leaves. It seemed unnecessary; the grass was littered with the real thing, a glory of autumn reds and oranges, but there was no arguing with ceremony or precedent.

Piles of furs and cushions were built up, fires laid out and left unlit, and between the pavilions and courtyards many long, low tables stood in easily reached but inconspicuous places. Lights were hung along the Wall while he watched and in the first flush of twilight the stars were invisible, blinded by bright lamps.

Casually, as he had been doing all day, Sesshomaru tested the air. The many scents converging on this place came to him on the wind from all directions, some familiar and some not. The closest scents made him scowl; it was early yet, too early to deal with _nonsense_...but the air from inside brought him Kagome's scent as well, her drowsy awakening and the moment of panic that came with it, followed by her slow relaxation. The inner awareness told him of her continued tension, but he was pleasantly surprised by the mildness of her reaction.

_She is gaining knowledge and control every day. _

He thought of going to her, of bringing her the gifts that he had hidden away for this evening, but as he was turning away the gate began to open and he was forced to turn back. His mother's entourage had arrived early in the morning, much to his displeasure; no one was else was due until nightfall. Before his guest had taken ten steps Kinawai's scent betrayed him and Sesshomaru let out a long-suffering sigh.

_I didn't realize he was _this_ close. _

"Kinawai -"

"Sesshomaru, I greet you! On this the night of your mate's presentation may all your strength be with you!"

The formal greeting was completely unexpected, totally out of character - and one night too early - but Kasuka and her entourage chose to follow Kinawai through the gate at that moment. Sesshomaru's eyes widened for only a moment.

_I see_.

Formality in public might avoid private complications. Kinawai's expression cautioned wariness before relaxing back into a congratulatory smile, but there was no need for such warnings where this particular female was concerned. Sesshomaru was already on his guard, had planned for her presence. There had been no way to escape it; Kasuka would have come with the Council if not with Kinawai...and better to have her here sooner; much better.

Sesshomaru was looking forward to observing the unraveling of her plotting and plans and it would be easier and more fun to watch if she had no time to warn anyone or make excuses.

For her part, Kasuka stood quietly beside her mate, her features composed. Her nostrils widened almost imperceptibly, seeking a human scent, the odor of the woman she had seen. For a moment she was distracted by Rin, the smell of human girl, and then she found what she was looking for. Fainter than she had expected, to be sure, but more than strong enough. It was unfortunate for her that Sango had so recently visited...and that she could not conceive of _other_ humans visiting this place.

Both of them smiled, Sesshomaru and Kasuka, meeting each other's eyes for a flickering moment. Both of them believed they knew what was about to happen...but only one of them was right.

Sesshomaru turned away abruptly and indicated the fortress behind him with a careless gesture.

"Rooms have been prepared for you in the north wing; Kinawai, before you settle in I would request your presence. Lady, I'm sure you know the way?"

Kasuka barely inclined her head in answer, but Sesshomaru swept away without a second thought. Kinawai followed behind him and left his mate at the threshold surrounded by a surprised and confused group of attendants.

Kasuka's smile had a cynical edge.

"Well? You heard him; I do, in fact, know the way. Come."

She ignored the whispers ignited by her statement and led the little group up towards the stairs.

_Know the way! That – dog! _

Long ago, before rebellion and mayhem, before the Inu no Taisho, this fortress had been the home of Dragons, not Inu. Centuries of occupation by tasteless dogs had changed many things, but the stones themselves could not be moved. She was not amused by the appointment of rooms Sesshomaru had bestowed, the northernmost suite in the north wing.

_Banished even when visiting!_

Still...she had been left alone here, and there were benefits to that.

_Perhaps it is time to see if I can find this woman, the new mate of Sesshomaru_.

Kasuka left her retainers and the females who served her to unpack and settle things in, and stepped out into the hallway. She was met, almost immediately – _too_ immediately – by someone who she had not expected to see.

_The mother! _

"Ah...Kasuka, is it? The mate of Kinawai?"

"...Yes. And you would be Kimitsukiko?"

And, crafty, cunning as always, Kasuka flashed a brief and brilliant smile intended to disconcert.

"Or should I call you Honored Mother on this day?"

Kimitsukiko's lips curved slowly.

"Oh, not today; tomorrow is the appropriate time, but I thank you for the thought. Please, come with me. My son does not think of such things, but I have provided some entertainment for the evening until the rest of our guests have arrived."

Kasuka found herself without any sort of response; this was like nothing she had expected.

"I...of course. How could I refuse?"

How _could_ she refuse? Silently, she fumed, but Kasuka had been outmaneuvered, and she knew it. Her eyes widened as Kimitsukiko turned away down the hallway and the empty sleeve of her robe flapped at her side. The sight made her eyes narrow, and then she could not restrain a gasp.

_Sesshomaru – his arm!_

She had known there was something _off_ about him since she had come in sight of him, but it had not occurred to her until this moment that he was, once again, whole.

_And more dangerous. But – how?_

And Kimitsukiko – when had _she_ suffered such an injury? If Kasuka had not so recently been to visit Sesshomaru, had not seen himthen with the wound she remembered, she might have thought she had gotten the two of them confused.

_Ah, well. What has she been up to that ended so badly, I wonder?_

As she proceeded down the hallway behind Kimitsukiko, Kasuka allowed herself a small smile. There were few things she found as enjoyable as baiting an Inu. Kimitsukiko led her into the east wing before she could form her questions, and then down an open hall lined with screens. Kasuka felt her breath tighten in her chest as she took slow steps down that corridor, each one heavier than the last.

The screens were painted with violence; they showed the failure of the last Dragonlord, the death of the days of her family's supremacy...the victory and the glory of the Inu no Taisho. Kasuka stopped, weighted by her past, weighted by anger and her hopes for vengeance and_ hate_, unadulterated hate, heaviest of all...hate.

She stood still; she trembled. Kimitsukiko turned to look at her, and Kasuka saw the glimmer of a crafty smile and knew that this arrangement had been set out particularly for her.

"Aren't you coming, Kasuka?"

Anger bubbled in Kasuka's veins and she struck at what she thought would be vulnerable spot.

"Of course. I was distracted; what happened to your arm?"

She forced herself to begin taking steps forward again, and watched the expression on Kimitsukiko's face flicker from irritation to amusement as she slid open a door and gestured for Kasuka to walk through.

"My arm...hmm. I tested the mate my son has chosen; she is indeed worthy. I expected nothing less from my son."

Nothing else she might have said could have stumped Kasuka so completely. How was it possible that the mother of Sesshomaru, the mate of the Inu no Taisho herself, had been defeated by a mere human?

_Impossible!_

Carefully, Kasuka passed by her opponent and entered into a room full of Inu. A few cups of sweet-smelling wine were scattered here and there on low tables; there was a rich and subtle scent of incense, and she saw books and stringed instruments in the hands of some of those around her. Every eye in the room had turned toward her as she entered; gold, blue or ocean-green they were all Inu, and hostility was bright in more than a few faces. With a sinking feeling Kasuka realized that all of her plans would have to be put away for later.

This room was a dangerous place for a Dragon, and she had come without a single one of her own females. Behind her, Kimitsukiko took three steps into the room and slid the door shut. To Kasuka, the sound was like the closing of a trap.

* * *

Sesshomaru brought Kinawai with him upstairs and stopped on his way to his room to show his friend the robes and ornaments he intended as a gift for Kagome. There were layers of silk as thin as gauze, but heavy with gold; the white brocade that would layer beneath them had a luster like wet pearls. Kinawai grinned and folded his arms across his chest, tapping the claws of the his right hand thoughtfully on his left arm.

"Exquisite, of course."

He turned his amused expression on Sesshomaru.

"Does she know what you're doing?"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and gestured for a waiting _presence_ to gather up the layers of robes and follow him.

"These are _gifts_, Kinawai. Keep your thoughts to yourself and wait here while I bring them to her."

"And you are not worried about Kasuka?"

A thin smile crept across Sesshomaru's face.

"My mother will have her well in hand by now. I doubt she will try anything tonight, surrounded by Inu, but I intend to leave nothing to chance."

Without another word Kinawai stayed and watched the line of garments and accessories make their way out the door behind Sesshomaru. He could not help but lift an eyebrow at some of the things he saw go past him – a belt of rose-hued rubies, carved into blossoms; combs and hair ornaments of heavy gold, studded with gemstones; even an elaborate veil hung with dark red gems and gold beads that had once belonged to Sesshomaru's mother.

Sesshomaru was turning his mate into a display of all the wealth his House possessed; not just material riches, but the debts those objects represented, services rendered and favors owed. Some among those arriving tonight would remember certain of these items just as Kinawai himself did. The treasures would call to mind the days of this House in its greatest glory and splendor, the days of the Inu no Taisho at the height of his strength.

"Clever, Sesshomaru..."

But no one was there to hear his murmured words, and Kinawai settled back to wait.

At the other end of the hall, still damp and flushed from her bath, Kagome received her gift with wide eyes. She was surprised when Sesshomaru dismissed the hands that had helped him carry the robes, as well as the female presence that usually dressed her. Instead, with deft hands, he wound the thin silks and heavy brocade around her himself; first the white, then the heavy gold, and finally four layers of gauze, as fine and light as demon hands could weave. The belt of flowering gemstones he wrapped around her waist, over her obi, and then he sat her before him and began to brush her hair.

"Sesshomaru -"

"It is my right as your mate, on this day when you are presented to my kin, to ensure that you are at your most beautiful."

She couldn't think of anything to say to that, so she sat quietly, enjoying the warm glow of his affection. It was so rare, though becoming more frequent; perhaps he had guessed at how fragile her suspension of disbelief was. Eventually, he stopped and lay the brush aside. She leaned back then, claiming a moment of closeness, but he lifted her away after a very short while and stood, came to stand in front of her.

"I will leave you for now, Kagome. As much as I would like, there are some things I cannot do for you. Hold these carefully; someone will be in to take care of them."

He deposited a wealth of gold and jeweled hair ornaments into her lap, and she felt his fingers under her chin, lifting her eyes so he could look at her.

"I will return in a few minutes; my mother will want to look at you. _You_ are my treasure, Kagome."

She heard his admonition, and nodded, but she was all smiles, warm inside now. His eyes had dismissed a glittering hoard, heirlooms and precious artifacts; _she_ was his _treasure_. Why did it feel so good to hear that?

When he had gone, she still sat in the same place, smiling, and barely noticed when the familiar hands began to part and roll and pin her hair. One by the one the ornaments disappeared from her lap; finally, a shimmering veil dropped across her vision, strung beads of gold and red gems that hung like drops of suspended liquid from an elaborate headdress.

"Pretty..."

Her head was heavy, though, and she wondered how long she was going to have to sit with all this on, and if youkai could get headaches.

_Probably. Probably really _bad_ headaches. _

After a few minutes of trying to sit really still and see if she could get the beads to stop swinging, Kagome did her best to hold them all with one hand and push herself up to a standing position with the other. The robes settled around her shoulders, and she tilted alarmingly to one side before she was able to right herself and balance correctly between hair, robes, and not being able to see properly.

"This is harder than I thought..."

Hands appeared on her shoulders, steadying her, and then gave careful tugs to the long robes, straightening folds and drape and arranging her skirt so she wouldn't step on anything.

"Thank you -"

The door opened behind her then, and Kagome turned swiftly; this presence was fast growing familiar.

"Kimitsukiko-sama -"

"Quiet, and let me look at you. We haven't much time. Hmm..."

Kagome stood very still, and looked straight down. She watched the feet prowling around her and realized that there was actually group of youkai gathered outside her door; she could hardly see anything through the swinging beads but she could feel the eyes on her, hear the faint rustling of silk and whispers. Finally, Kimitsukiko stepped back and nodded sharply.

"You will do."

Kagome restrained herself from letting out an enormous sigh but could not help relaxing a little. There was a startled shuffling at the door and Kagome was relieved by Sesshomaru's familiar presence. He scowled at his mother and ran his eye over the crowd still waiting outside the door.

"I told you I would bring her to you-"

"And I wanted to be sure I would not be disgraced by her presence. Thankfully, I know she is at least capable of simple introductions, as...mystifying as they may be to certain others."

An amused smirk twisted Kimitsukiko's lips for a moment, and Sesshomaru fixed her with a warning glare.

"Mother - "

"Yes, yes, I know, no _interfering_..."

She turned back to Kagome then and gestured toward the door with significant impatience.

"Shall we?"

"Not yet, mother. Go; I will bring her. You have enough to see to, yes?"

She scowled at his reminder silently – she disliked being used as a distraction - but retreated through her entourage and back down the hall towards the east wing where she had taken up residence.

Sesshomaru turned back and took a good look at Kagome then; he was uncertain whether to be pleased by her appearance or not. Certainly, she showed the wealth of his House, the prestige of his family, and she was very beautiful, elegant and ethereal despite the heavy ornaments. But she looked like a golden doll - faceless, without identity.

"Kagome, you will be accompanied for your introductions by my mother and her retainers. This will show her support of you, and disguise the fact that you have no females of your own. There is much that my servants can do, but there are times when invisibility has its drawbacks."

He turned and took a few steps into the room behind her, stopped to stare out the window. The last of the twilight's glow was fading, leaving the horizon a dark and misty purple. Outside, the gates had been flung wide and the bobbing of lights told him that the rest of his guests were already beginning to arrive.

"There is very little time left. Kagome, listen carefully. One of the females with my mother is Kasuka; she is Kinawai's mate, but she is a very dangerous individual. I cannot tell you now the long history of distrust between us, but suffice it to say that she and her kin played a large part in bringing about the circumstances that killed my father. She is Dragon, and there is something...something _wrong_ about her."

Sesshomaru paused and his expression became calculating as he decided what to tell her, what was most important considering their current situation.

"At one time, thinking herself very secretive and cunning, she sought to place herself as my mate. I am no fool, which I would have to be to ally myself with a female I suspect of such dangerous...activities. I would kill her, but for her claim as Kinawai's mate and the fact that she seems to be of some use to him."

Kagome was confused.

"But...if she is _Kinawai's_ mate – I don't understand. How can he be trustworthy, such a close friend of yours, and she -"

"There are complications which I cannot discuss now. It is enough for you to know that Kasuka is a daughter of the House of Fire...just as you are. I am telling you these things so that you will be on on your guard against her, for she is surely no friend of yours. _She_ is the one who was spreading rumors about my mate being human."

Kagome's mouth opened in a silent _oh_.

"Once she learns that you were Dragon, she may attempt to sway you to work against me...and when that does not work, she will turn her considerable malice against you. Regardless of anything else, she will see you as a threat once she learns you are miko. The Dragon-miko have always commanded great respect, especially among their own kin. There is a chance, however slight, that some among the Dragon clans might be persuaded to follow _your_ lead, rather than hers. She will be thinking of all these things as soon as you are introduced; you must be on your guard. Do you understand?"

She took a deep breath and nodded slowly, and Sesshomaru seemed to relax slightly.

"Good. I must leave you now and attend to my own attire and the greeting of guests. Remember what I have told you, Kagome...and that you are mine."

He disappeared through the door.

Invisible hands appeared to lead Kagome down the hallway, carefully supporting her weighted steps. She was not yet comfortable enough with the new and unconscious grace of her body to attempt a more energetic approach, but the side-effect of her discomfort was a stately and elegant walk.

She could hear voices as she approached the east wing, the low murmur of casual conversation and gossip. When the door that was finally pushed open stood wide and Kagome's presence was visible from all corners of the room, there was silence. Kimitsukiko made her way over to stand at Kagome's side.

"I present to you the mate of my son. Her name is Kagome; she is a daughter of the House of Fire and the guardian of the shikon no tama. She has submitted to the power of my son; she stands before you now as one of us, an Inu and the lady of the House of Blades."

The silence grew, if anything, and then broke all at once with a rush of whispers, canceled rumors and relieved suspicions and speculations made suddenly irrelevant. The revelation that Kagome was, after all, youkai, immediately took second place to the revelation of her bloodline and suspicions that she was miko. Why else would she be the protector of such precious power?

Kasuka alone sat very still and said nothing, unwilling to believe and at the same time unable to deny the evidence of her senses. The mate of the Inu was standing in front of her, and she was obviously _not_ human. That she bore the shikon no tama was no proof that she was miko, but the jewel troubled Kasuka. Such was her obsession with her chosen enemy that few things escaped her where the last two sons of the House of Blades were concerned. She had been aware of the quest of the hanyou Inuyasha, his search for the sacred jewel; it had amused her to see him struggling in vain. Certain reports had surprised her, however: the death of the one called Naraku, the successful reformation of the shattered shikon, and then its disappearance.

For it to reappear _here_, though...had Sesshomaru confronted his brother and taken it? Why had she heard no rumor of such a thing? Reports about the hanyou had been very quiet lately, but last she had heard he had still been traveling with a woman, a priestess...

Kasuka stared across the room with narrowed eyes. Who was this _Kagome_? Where had she come from, with her bloodline and her sacred jewel and her apparent ability to influence the Inu?

_Even I failed at seducing Sesshomaru. How did she succeed?_

More dangerous questions occurred to her then, and she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. _Why_ was more threatening than _how_. How could be only a matter of preference, of detail, but motives were often mischief...or worse. And where, _where_ did she find the shikon no tama; how did it come into her grasp?

Kasuka sat in silence, thinking, listening to the formal introductions and waiting for her turn. When it came she swept across the room with all the presence she could gather, masking all her surprise, covering the curl of her lip with a friendly expression.

"I am Kasuka, mate of Kinawai; I greet you in the name of the North and the House of Fire. I must say, lady, I am surprised that we have not met before."

Kagome could not help but raise an eyebrow at that; she looked, if only she knew it, very much like her mate.

"Really? Why?"

A cunning glimmer came into Kasuka's eyes.

"We are kin. I, too, am born of the House of Fire."

Kagome stared at Kasuka and felt a tingle of unease. Kin, to her? But she was saved from a situation that might have become precarious very quickly by a series of embarrassing questions, begun by Kimitsukiko and continued by the females she had brought with her. All of them were interested to know how Kagome had managed to catch Sesshomaru's attention; they wanted a detailed description of her courtship and the Chase that had followed it.

Kagome's stuttering answers amused the whole group. As mortified as she was to be having such a discussion, Kagome reflected that, in any event, laughter was definitely better than snarls. Carefully, she told her story, leaving out certain details that she was sure Sesshomaru would not want her to share...and moments that belonged to her alone.

* * *

Eldest had come south following dim pathways and old tracks no longer remembered even by youkai. Along the way, drawn to her as if to a lodestone, Dragons came and offered their services, surprised and awed to find her presence moving among them once more. It had been generations since she had traveled openly beyond the borders she had set for herself; now, almost silently, her kin came crowding around her footsteps, hovering in her shadow and waiting to be addressed.

Eldest was amused by their solicitous behavior, their unbridled interest. None of them had ever seen her before, but they all knew who she was. Very soon she was turning followers back, ordering them into silence when they complained, terrifying them into obedience when they raised argumentative eyes in her direction. She chose the highest ranked from among those who had come, the leaders of families who were least likely to cause problems and a dozen females she knew were quiet by nature.

Those she had not selected dispersed almost as quickly as they had come. Awed and eager hands reached for the bundles she had brought with her, and she allowed them to be taken. Out of respect or fear, none of them dared to ask questions about her destination or the reason for this journey, but questioning murmurs grew the further she went into the Inu's domain.

As the sun was setting, she entered the edge of the wood that drew up against the eastern side of the Wall bounding Sesshomaru's fortress, and stopped. There was a rustle of leaves and voices, and Eldest waited for the whispers to finally become words. It did not take as long as she had expected.

"Honored Eldest, why have we come here? The Inu lord will not be pleased..."

She smiled.

"But the presentation of his mate is tomorrow night, and I see no reason why her kin should not be with her as custom requires."

"Her kin!"

Shock moved outward from Eldest's position, but her smile did not waver.

"Of course. Did you not know? The mate of the Inu is a daughter of the House of Fire. The match was negotiated by Kinawai at my instruction."

Eldest laughed silently, observing the consternation of those clustered around her. Negotiated was not, perhaps, the right word – but she had sent Kinawai with a message and it appeared to have accomplished what she intended.

"Come; sit, all of you. We will wait here until after it is dark. I am sure the young Inu does not expect me, and his own kin should have time to get settled. I should not have to tell any of you that this meeting could be difficult. You will restrain yourselves in his presence, and you will show _her_ the same respect you show me!"

Many eyes were suddenly focused on her, bright in their intensity. The whispers faded away into agreement and an obsequious retreat. Sesshomaru's strength was nearly legendary, as was his temper and his dislike of Dragons. The fact that he had taken one from among them as his mate could be a sign of better days, more influence and greater potential for their Houses.

Eldest saw their ambitious thoughts, and kept her laughter to herself. When the stars came out, bright in the near-moonless night, she stood slowly and smoothed her robe and hair. Within a minute, her entourage had returned; they waited for her to begin moving, and then followed her southwest, around the curve of forest and wall toward the open plain and Sesshomaru's Gate.

* * *

A/N: Well, another long hiatus unfortunately, I hate taking a month to do these...arg. Too many classes, too much work, and it's honestly sad how much less I care about that stuff than this. Ha! At any rate, thanks for waiting and many apologies! Next Chapter: The Unexpected Meets Sesshomaru! And now...reviews!

MissTessa: No worries, I have no plans for killing Kagome off any time soon!

Ginnie177: Thanks very much! Answering all those questions would be a lot of spoilers, and I'm pretty sure _most _of them will be answered in the next two chapters, so I will say only this: Rin is not going to become youkai, or invincible; in fact, I intend her humanity to be her 'saving grace' so to speak. After all, Kagome's already become youkai; anything more than that gets a little ridiculous and hard to explain plausibly :P

T-shirt: Much thanks! Reviews are much appreciated and love is great!

Wlfhund: Extra special thanks for your thoughtful and descriptive review! It's always nice to know that I've succeeded in my intentions and captured your imagination in such a compelling way. Again, thank you!

kouga's older woman: of course! After all, even Sesshomaru isn't perfect...and Kagome is an excellent antifreeze for him.

Angel of Blood: Thanks for your review! Another chapter, not as fast as I'd like, but...sooner rather than later, and later rather than never, as they say :D

AMUTOLOVER09: Thanks for reading! I've considered posting on Dokuga, especially after a forum there recently helped me get my work unplagiarized, but it seems very complicated and apparently requires a livejournal, which I haven't got. Ah, well. At any rate, as far as Sesshomaru goes...he's complicated :P; also yes, his mother has somewhat screwed with him, as has his general lack of any kind of companion...and therefore any kind of ability to trust other people. He has no choice but to trust Kagome...slowly and eventually. But it certainly isn't something that will happen all at once. And of course Kagome has her own issues – but she is a more trusting and open person by nature.

lunarcat12: Ah yes...but remember, Sesshomaru knows his mother is only approving of Kagome because she has no choice, and he doesn't know what to expect from her. It's only to be expected that he not want her to hear his confession to Kagome, which contains much about his growing feelings and not only what he's refrained from telling about the presentation. Sesshomaru definitely doesn't want his mother hearing about his uncertainty and using it later to manipulate him.

Lara5170: Ah, my mistake! That's me forgetting to not use the plural, because its really awkward writing "hand" and "arm" all the time; "hands" and "arms" come naturally and I often miss them in editing. Hopefully I've caught most of that now! :D

AliceAnthem: Much thanks! More soon (I hope!)

redhead36a: Glad that you like it so much! Part of the reason I wrote this story is because I got tired of bad fanfictions...also because I hated Inuyasha's enormous, gaping plotholes. I can't STAND plotholes!

WiccanMethusaleh: I must thank you again for your efforts on my behalf at Dokuga, and also for your excellent review! You know, I'm actually not sure if there's anyone who has reviewed who's read both versions, so I was particularly happy that the improvement I thought I saw wasn't a hallucination :D Thanks again!

White Ivy: Your review came one minute after I posted this chapter - but I'm speedy! Woo! Much thanks :D


	31. XXXI: Between A Whisper And The Truth

XXXI.

Between A Whisper And The Truth

* * *

Kagome waited in the midst of Kimitsukiko's females, a glittering figure at the top of the stairs. There had been muttering in the halls before they had come outside - when Rin had joined them, radiant in a child's kimono patterned to match Kagome's. The girl wore a few glittering ornaments in her hair, but nothing like what Kagome had been loaded down with. She found herself a bit envious.

Around her, whispers were continuing. Though it had been known for some time that Sesshomaru had made a human child his ward, she had rarely been seen, and none of them understood what he meant by placing her among the honored females of his House. Kagome knew what was going on, and heartily approved; Kimitsukiko knew, and was resigned to the knowledge that a human would become part of the House of Blades. She comforted herself by looking at Kagome and reminding herself that it could have been worse. Her son could have chosen a human for his _mate_, not only his ward...and she knew she had only been spared that by a trick of fate.

Despite the murmurs, some of which she could certainly hear, Rin was beaming like the sun. Nothing but the approval of her Sesshomaru-sama mattered at all and very soon she would be his daughter, no longer just a ward. What could bother her, compared to that?

Rin's smiling courage and complete disregard of the gossiping going on around them was helpful to Kagome. After all – if the girl could do it, so could she. They were moving then, down the stairs and through the hall and outside.

When they stopped, Kagome found herself looking down towards the open Gate with the door to the main hall behind her. Like a flowing shadow, glinting here and there with the light of eyes, Sesshomaru's kin had come with the night, Inu all. At the moment, they were below her, spread out and talking softly. _He_ was among them now; she watched carefully, following with her eyes as Sesshomaru's movements created currents and eddies in the flow of guests.

She was forced to suppress a tingle of nervous fear as she watched the numbers of their visitors grow, male and female. The scents were numerous, both exhilarating and exhausting. The silk-covered courtyard was alive with a swirl of activity, many strangers in bright dress moving with that quick and darting elegance only youkai seemed capable of. Kagome took a deep, quick breath, and exhaled slowly.

_Can't be afraid, can't be afraid...they are_ his _family, so now they are _my_ family._

She took a deep breath.

_My family. There is no one else for me here._

Lost in thought, she stood silently, observing. Her gaze latched on to Sesshomaru's tall figure moving through the others, coming back toward her. Even now, even in this place where he was surrounded by other Inu, he stood out. He was taller, his eyes more glowing; his aura was a palpable presence that dimmed the feeling of all other energies. He had dressed in white and gold to match her; his hair had been tied up and he looked more than ever like his father - like a true warlord, a youkai emperor.

She took a deep breath and felt youki shifting in her body, a flow of strength. This was _her Sesshomaru _and he had chosen her, of that she had no doubt. The certainty that she was wanted, that was the best feeling in the world, the feeling that her battered soul had craved. But to be wanted by someone like _him_ -

In another moment, Sesshomaru was by her side. He bent over her and swept the shimmering beads aside, looked down at her face. Her determined expression soothed his anxiety.

"It is time, Kagome. We will introduce you now."

And he took her hand and led her down the stairs.

Inu crowded around them; Kimitsukiko stayed directly behind, and Kagome waited quietly, wondering what she would be expected to do. Dozens of eyes focused on her, glittering in the night, and only when there was total silence did Sesshomaru speak.

"I give you my mate, Kagome, Dragon-miko, a daughter of the House of Fire, guardian of the shikon no tama. Tomorrow in the dark of the moonless night she will be Marked with the burning Ink. She is mine now, and Inu, the Lady of the House of Blades; let her be welcome among you."

His words were met with howls of approval and growls of discontent. Only Kasuka stood in silence, alone at the back of the group of females, her mouth half-open. To her certain knowledge there was only one family, one line, mother to daughter, that could produce a Dragon-miko. How was this _possible_?

It was then that she noticed the group of Dragons who had silently assembled and were standing in the open gate. Her eyes narrowed – who would have such presumption? - and then widened.

"_Eldest_!"

Her voice escaped as a vicious whisper, but that was more than enough for the ears of the Inu all around her; even Kagome heard. The barest rustle of breath moved from one place to another until there was utter quiet. Every eye was focused on the gate. In the furthest corner of the courtyard, even Kinawai stood slowly and stared, paling.

Long after the silence had become heavy, Sesshomaru stepped forward and focused on his unexpected _guest_. He had never seen her, but he knew who she was, just as they all did: Eldest of them all, Mother of the lines of the House of Fire, she was a fixture in youkai legends and history. Once they had called her the last of the Dragon-miko...though no longer, with Kagome here beside him. And -

He took a deep a breath and spoke before his racing thoughts could strangle him.

"I bid you welcome, Eldest. For what reason are we honored by your presence?"

She laughed.

"You need to ask, Sesshomaru? Did you not receive the message I sent with Kinawai – did you have no curiosity about my information and its sources?"

A low, throbbing growl escaped Sesshomaru's throat. He did remember; he _had_ been curious, but this was just too unexpected. And if she knew – what did she know? Would she reveal Kagome's secrets, _his_ secrets? He almost growled, but refrained from any reaction in the face of the eyes he expected to be on him.

But many of those standing around him were ignoring him completely, staring instead at Kinawai, who was now leaning against a tree, gazing into his cup of wine. It was not difficult to make the connection between the length and frequency of his recent visits and this new information. He was, after all, the Lord of the House of Fire – and Sesshomaru's new mate claimed lineage from that House. Murmurs moved like waves through the crowd.

Sesshomaru took all of this in with a quick and sweeping glance, and then turned back to Eldest. She only smiled faintly and then fixed Sesshomaru with piercing, ice-blue eyes. Her words had a particular emphasis that calmed some of his fears and raised new questions in their place.

"I have come to be with your mate as custom requires; I am her closest living kin, after all, and so I should._.._take care of her. Won't you bring her forward, Sesshomaru?"

His movements slow, Sesshomaru turned and caught Kagome's questioning glance, nodded. She stepped forward until his hand on her back warned her that she had gone far enough. Eldest addressed her warmly, and once again Sesshomaru was completely confused. If it had not been for the still greater confusion that reached him from Kagome, he might have believed the two of them had met before – but regardless, he saw immediately that such a pretense of familiarity could only serve his cause.

"Well, now – the change went well for you, I see; and such lovely golden eyes! You are Kagome, of course, but I will call you sister-daughter, as is my right. These others call me Eldest – but I, too have a name; call me Oyume, won't you?"

Kagome only nodded; the beads on her headdress clanged softly together. Eldest turned swiftly to face the curious Inu gathered around them.

"Have you been introduced to all of them, sister-daughter, the ones who will be your new kin?"

Hesitantly, Kagome nodded again. She didn't think she had, not really – but then, that was obviously not the answer this female wanted. Eldest's smile was warm, but her words were brisk.

"Then we should return inside, where you belong. In the old days, a moonspan of seclusion would have been given you, and not a single night; time to prepare, to adapt to many changes. Certainly you are not accustomed to your new flesh yet – from Dragon to Inu, it is not easy, I expect."

Kagome nodded again, more faintly.

_If she only knew!_

Eldest turned back to Sesshomaru. He was looking at her now with a calculating expression, and she smiled faintly, raised an eyebrow.

"I take it you have prepared an appropriate set of rooms?"

He looked back and forth between the two of them. He had, indeed, prepared rooms...but they had been intended for the females of his family, not for _Eldest_.

He was still not entirely convinced that this was happening.

"I...have set aside the East Wing for the long night and the preparation of the Ink. I did not expect you to be in attendance upon her; females of my own family were intending -"

"So thoughtful, Sesshomaru...but I am here now. My entourage is not large; we will find room for ourselves."

She turned then and swept her eyes across the Dragons huddled behind her, each of them wide-eyed, staring at Kagome.

"Come! Greet the daughter of our House on this, the last night that it shall be true of her that she is one of us."

Dragons passed before Kagome and fell at her feet. The Inu gathered around them watched avidly as, one at a time, faster than she had a chance of remembering, each Dragon offered a name, along with a form of address that she did not understand.

"Kazuhiro, Hime-sama, of the House of Fire."

"I am Yoshiyuki, Hime-sama, in the service of your mother's House -"

"Ryouta, Hime-sama -"

"Chikyoko, Hime-sama -"

"Miho, Hime-sama -"

"Sayuri, Hime-sama-"

The names tumbled over each other. A rush swept the through the gathered Inu, seeing so many Dragons offering so much respect to this newcomer, of whom none of them had ever heard. In a matter of moments, Kagome had gained huge amounts of prestige. Not only had Sesshomaru, the untouchable one, taken her for his mate, but Eldest had come out of self-imposed exile for her, claiming right of kin, claiming to be her _closest _kin. Now the leaders of some the most respected among the Dragon houses bent the knee before her. None among the watchers seemed to notice Kagome's confusion; it was just as well.

As Eldest came forward again and took Kagome's elbow, leading her back towards the stairs, Inu parted in front of them with a rustle of silk and a flicker of uneasy awe in every eye. Kagome looked up as she walked past Kimitsukiko, and caught a glimmer of an expression in her face that had been there before. There was an echo in Kagome's memory of another moment - _"Finish it, Hime-sama."_

What did it mean? Hime-sama. She was nobody's princess! Confusion and fear leaked out of her and reached Sesshomaru, but there was nothing he could do – nothing he _wanted_ to do. Eldest's appearance had been completely unexpected and he had no clue as to her motives...but for the moment, her influence seemed to be accomplishing what he had wanted all along. Kagome would have an invulnerable position, a position that no one would dare assail.

Even those who thought they might have a chance of defeating her in Challenge would never dare violence while Eldest looked on, claiming her as kin. Who would be so foolish?

Kagome stopped and looked back at him from the top of the stairs, resisting the pull of Eldest's hands on her arm, trying to bring her inside. He nodded once, sharply, and tried to convey as much reassurance as he could with his glance, with the presence of his own internal calm. It did not help much, and he felt that, but what could he do? She would realize that she was in no danger soon enough.

* * *

As she moved around the corridor, surrounded by the small company of Dragons and with Eldest by her side, Kagome forced herself to stay very calm and not make unnecessary noises. But she was confused; this was not what she had expected, not at all! Sesshomaru's wariness had filled her with unease, with fear...but this! What was going on? Every time she met the eyes of one of the Dragons near her, they shied away and looked straight down.

Kagome was desperate for some time alone, some time to think, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen. Eldest was herding her along towards rooms she had not yet explored, and as they approached a wind and a whisper seemed to go before them. There was a clatter from some distance ahead that sounded like several screens being closed quickly, and Kagome winced slightly and wished she could cover her ears.

From beside her, Eldest's voice sounded both consoling and curious.

"Too loud, sister-daughter? The Inu has ears that much more sensitive?"

Kagome nodded quickly, and then stammered out a response.

"Y-yes, El- Oyume-sama."

"Interesting, truly. I would not give up my Dragon-self for anything, but I see you have a spark of something with this young Inu, hmm?"

Kagome flushed red for a moment, but Eldest only laughed quietly and patted her arm with one pale hand.

"That is good, sister-daughter. Let the spark become what it wants to, in its own time. It will be good for you; you have had much hardship, yes?"

Kagome nodded again, dumbly. Then the question popped out, before she had a chance to stop herself.

"How do you know so much -"

"Well, they do not call me Eldest for nothing, you know! Now, sister-daughter, I think the rest of our conversation should wait for a little privacy, don't you?"

"Of course, Oyume-sama."

Kagome was pleased that her voice came out without stuttering this time, and with some sense. She had been going to ask how this Eldest, Oyume, knew so much about _her_...but in retrospect, she realized that asking such questions to someone acting like her best friend might seem odd. Since said female was _not_ her best friend, was, in fact, someone she had only just met for the first time, there was probably a reason for the deception.

_And Sesshomaru seems to approve..._

On light feet, the Dragons made their way through a maze of curtained passageways, following behind Eldest and Kagome. They stopped in front of a painted door, and Eldest raised an eyebrow in Kagome's direction.

"Shall we?"

She didn't wait for an answer, but instead slid the door open. On the other side were beautifully appointed rooms, much more feminine than anything Kagome had seen in the rest of the castle, but still very youkai. No one was inside, though there was evidence of recent occupation; a half empty cup of dark wine, a robe left carelessly hung over a chair. Just as they stepped inside, there was a great rustling and many footsteps behind them; Kimitsukiko and her females had finally caught up.

"Eldest, you must forgive the state of these rooms; we did not expect - "

"Company other than yourselves. Of course – I understand. Do not stand on ceremony, Kimitsukiko, but tell me a place where I may be alone with my sister-daughter for a time. A place where prying ears will not find us. I have been parted from her for a long time, and now there are things we must speak of together before your son has her all to himself."

Kimitsukiko hesitated. She was under strict instructions from Sesshomaru to make sure that Kagome was never alone in circumstances where she might give away her strangeness. Among her own females, such discretion was the matter of a moment's thought only. This development, however, changed things; it was all but impossible for her to deny such a request.

"Eldest, I do not wish to cause difficulty, but I cannot think of such a place. The courtyards are full of guests, and many of them will wander inside, I'm sure...

Eldest smiled.

"A clever answer, Kimitsukiko. No matter; I will walk with Kagome and she will tell me if someone is out of bounds. Miho!"

Lithe and quick, the smallest of the females in Eldest's entourage came forward at the summons, and Eldest relieved her of the largest bundle that had come with her. Inquisitive eyes attempted to broach the security of the packet, but Eldest handed it to Kimitsukiko and fixed her with a firm stare.

"Please, air these for me wherever is convenient...but lock the door of that room. I will have need of this tomorrow."

There were whispers, but Eldest turned away then and took Kagome's hand, tucked it under her elbow and tugged her along again, back out of the room.

When they came to hallways that were empty and silent, Eldest finally stopped walking and turned to Kagome with a different smile on her face, more friendly, more open.

"Sister-daughter, you must forgive my deception, because I know we have never met before today. But if you'll forgive me, it is as though you are someone I know very well; you have your mother's face."

Kagome's mouth dropped open.

"You – you know my mother? How could - but I didn't – I never said -"

"I knew as soon as I saw you, Inu or not; you have her eyes, her shape of face...it has been more than a thousand years since I last saw my sister, and my heart has long thought that she must be dead, but you! I never expected to find you; I did not know she had a daughter, or I might have sought you ought long ago."

Kagome flushed with panic. Eldest had obviously made a terrible mistake. A sister and her child lost a thousand years ago – there was no way! She had been born in the future, and her mother was _human_, and there was _no way - _

"There – there must be some mistake, Eldest. I can't – I can't be who you think I am. It's – impossible."

Suddenly very still, Eldest raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And why is that?"

Kagome took a deep breath, shook her head. The beads on her headdress clattered against each other.

"I can't – I _can't_ tell you. Sesshomaru – he would be furious, and it's not – it's not easy to understand. _I _don't even understand, really..."

Eldest only smiled, and Kagome was confused. _No one_ smiled at Sesshomaru's fury; not even her – not even _Rin_.

"Perhaps you should ask me now the question you intended earlier, sister-daughter."

Kagome let out a sharp breath. The words came from her lips slowly.

"How- how do you know so much about me? You said it – we have never met before – and yet...and yet..."

Kagome shrugged. She could not explain it, but she, too, felt a strange familiarity for the female sitting opposite her.

"I did not come here lightly, sister-daughter. This place is painful for me, but I _know_ your bloodline...and your history – yes, _all_ your history, or at least as much of it as concerns me."

Kagome's mouthed words soundlessly; not for the first time, she was grateful for the concealing headdress.

"Were you worrying that I don't know how it was that he found you, sister-daughter? Do you think I don't know that it was with a human face that you first came here? I even know that _you_ were the miko that restored the shattered gem, that once you accompanied the hanyou, your Sesshomaru's brother."

"How could you know that? Sesshomaru couldn't have told you -"

Eldest's smile was growing wider as Kagome's surprise increased.

"No, he couldn't have, but there was no need for him to do so. Sister-daughter, it was _I_ who sent Kinawai, message in hand, to view your hidden self with the Sight he has been gifted through his mother's blood. It was I who ensured that your young Inu would be prodded into action against the whisper of his pride – I, who saw that without you beside him, terror would wash over this place...over all of us."

Eldest's voice had grown, not in volume, but in intensity. Each word rang in Kagome's ears, unyielding and sharp.

"I did all this, and now I have come to ensure that you will not be slain at the hand of some foolish female who desires your young Inu. I came to cover you with the mantle of my protection. "

There was a moment of silence.

"Is there something I am missing, then, sister-daughter?"

Kagome closed her eyes briefly. Thoughts flashed through her head, but she could see no point in voicing them. After all, if Eldest knew so much, surely she knew about the temporal journey that had brought Kagome back here...

So she stayed silent, her head shaking back and forth. Her thoughts ran back over what Eldest had been telling her. Could it be possible? Could it be true? After all, if her parents had truly been human, wouldn't she herself be equally mortal? There was a memory nagging at the back of her mind, a hint that might lead to an explanation, but she couldn't quite get at it.

Eldest gave her a few minutes to come to terms with these new revelations, watching carefully. She was hoping that filial obligation might pave the road to friendship, perhaps affection; she had been a long time without family, her own mate and children lost to her and all her living kin generations distant, sharing only the thinnest thread of blood.

"Come, sister-daughter – this was not the discussion I intended to have with you tonight. There will be time in the future to explain such truths. Tell me, have you selected one among your mate's kin to mark you with the Ink?"

Caught off guard by the change of topic, Kagome shook her head, and then found herself stammering again.

"N-no, Oyume-sama."

"You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"

There was faint amusement in those ice-blue eyes, and Kagome flushed faintly.

"Not...not really. Sesshomaru might have mentioned _some_thing, but he didn't tell me much about what I would actually have to _do_. I think sometimes he forgets that I was human – or he tries to, anyway -"

Eldest interrupted her grumbling.

"Then I will tell you what you have to know. This marking with the Ink is the middle portion of our oldest Rite, a Rite older even than I am. It begins in the Chase, when males seek out a female for a mate. Usually it is during the Heat that this happens, but your case is special. Tell me, do you find that the scent of your blood has a strong effect on youkai?"

"Yes, but mostly...on Sesshomaru. He's always been a little – odd – when I was around, but I thought that was because of I-Inuyasha."

"_That_ was because the Beast held in bondage within you was seeking a way out. Such restraints require strength to break, and there is no doubt that he is strong; the strongest, they say, so perhaps that is why the scent affected him most. You will find as time passes that the influence of your blood will lessen, though it will never disappear. That means you will have to find other ways to interest him, sister-daughter...if you haven't already."

Kagome's flush darkened to fiery crimson, and Eldest laughed.

"When the Chase is completed, it is time for the Ink. It is a special mixture, blood and heat and juice pressed from the roots of the Demon Flower_. _It makes a living Mark; it is the only thing that will leave a stain in youkai flesh. Males are given such a mark at the time of their Awakening, when they come into the fullness of their strength, and it reflects the highest House to which they are kin-bound. Females are given such a mark only with the taking of a mate, and their attachment from that day forward is to the House of their mate, to his alliances and his kin."

Kagome blew out a breath that rustled the hanging beads.

"A living Mark...what does that mean?"

"The Ink knows power, and the flow of the blood with which it was made. Changes in that power, in that flow, may change the Mark."

Kagome still didn't understand, but Eldest seemed impatient to continue her explanation so she kept her questions to herself.

"Sister-daughter, the Ink, when it is fresh, is like a drug to the Beast inside you. It will ripen the urges of your youkai nature. The Presentation, the end of the Rite, will only follow when the influence of the Ink is full upon you. Perhaps...perhaps that is why your Sesshomaru has not mentioned this to you – you, who does not yet understand what it means to be youkai."

Kagome frowned.

"But...what should I -"

Eldest shook her head gravely.

"Sister-daughter, for this Rite you cannot ask, 'What should I do?', because only the urge of your blood in those moments will be able to answer that question. You cannot ask 'What will that be?', because no one knows but the Beast in your soul. Do you understand?"

Kagome blinked slowly, and then laughed a little.

"No. Not really. But then...that hasn't been unusual, in this place."

Worry-wrinkles at the corners of Eldest's eyes smoothed into a smile, and she patted Kagome's elbow gently.

"Not to worry, sister-daughter. I will take care of you; we are kin, after all."

But she paused for a moment, and her eyes seemed to slide out of focus; she continued in a whisper that Kagome was sure was not for her.

"Still – I never thought I would return here; never thought I would walk through these halls again..."

Kagome was startled by the history implicit in those words, and wondered at it; Eldest had come here _before_? It was the second time she had referred to Sesshomaru's fortress as a place that caused her some distress. Kagome wondered why, but her questions were stopped on her lips, not by Eldest, but by a feeling that no answer would be forthcoming. She sensed agony that must have taken place in the distant past, and held her silence.

After a moment, Eldest shook her head and glanced at Kagome, dispelling some memory or emotion.

"Come. It grows late, and there are others waiting for us. It is time for the telling of stories and the making of the Ink."

Kagome looked at her uncomfortably for a moment, and then spoke quickly before she could lose her nerve.

"Oyume-sama, could you – that is, would you do – would you make – that Mark?"

Eldest nodded once and her features grew warm again as she gestured for Kagome to go before her down the way they had come.

"I would allow no one else to do so, sister-daughter."

* * *

While Eldest spoke with Kagome in the empty corridors of the fortress, Sesshomaru was involved in probing conversation with one of those few he had trusted to spread the truth. Akira had been the most forthcoming; this was well with him, for the green-eyed Inu was the one Sesshomaru found most trustworthy.

Akira was the only one who had defended Kagome, the only one who had treated her with proper respect from the beginning. Still, Sesshomaru kept his inquiries casual; many might be listening.

"You did as I asked?"

Akira nodded slowly; his eyes were always moving, darting between guests, judging intentions, but he looked at no one directly.

"There was not much difficulty, Sesshomaru-dono. Your name still carries weight, and those of us who first met her were more convincing in our story than a half-whispered rumor could be. As it was, many did not believe the muttering in the first place. Your distaste for humans is legendary; you must know, my Lord, that it is for that reason that so many questioned the presence of the girl-child."

"Rin is not your concern. The rumor – did you hear anything yourself, or only what others had been told?"

Akira's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"It is known that I have allied myself to you; I expect it is for that reason that I have heard only hearsay. None of those I spoke to seemed to know where the rumor had its source, and as you requested caution I have been unable to probe with direct questions. There were many silences in interesting places, but while a lie is easily detected, an evasion can mean many things. There are those who consider themselves to be neither your allies nor your enemies, my Lord...and I think they are the ones most worth watching for."

Sesshomaru nodded, allowed his eyes to close. For a moment sound rose over him like a wave; he heard a few conversations that spun around this very point he was debating with Akira, but most tongues moved with Eldest's name, questioning her presence, her purpose, her alliance with Sesshomaru...he opened his eyes and felt a flicker of amusement.

_Alliance with me? Perhaps, but I do not think that is her intention. She has come here for Kagome's sake, just as she sent Kinawai for Kagome's sake...and I do not know why any more than they do. Is it really enough that they are kin? Does the power of a miko create an extra bond between them? But why would that be so important - important enough to draw her out of the North? _

His awareness was full of the peculiar circumstances which had brought Kagome into his world. He knew her origins and he wondered in silence if Eldest, too, was a part of that strange secret. It was a secret he kept because he sensed that Kagome wanted it so, and not because it was something which was harmful of itself; far worse, for those who waited with hungry ears to hear that she had been human, than that she had come from some distance in time – far worse. For youkai, immortal beings, the future just _was; _not something to be discussed or contemplated or influenced, but simply a continuation of that which had always been into that which was not yet. Time flowed for youkai in an ever-presence of _now_, unchanging and eternal.

True, in recent years that belief had been shifting; there were those like Sesshomaru, who were intelligent and who looked outwards from their own territories and saw the movements of humans as something to be watched warily; not with fear, but with questions. There were so many of them now. Projecting human increases into the future offered a daunting prospect. Not only the humans themselves were trouble, but the things that went with them – buildings and farmlands, razed forests, mines dug deep into mountains that had once been places of power...

Abruptly, Sesshomaru realized that this was, perhaps, more important than he had considered previously. The world in the dream he had stolen from Kagome loomed sharply in his mind, a world in which nothing was familiar, nothing safe. There was a sense of death in the memory of that glass-and-steel grid which he could not explain, and with which he had never confronted Kagome – because to do so was not only to admit that he had seen her sleeping thoughts, but to give voice to something which he had never before contemplated: _fear_. Fear of the unknown, and fear of the rolling years...fear of what might happen when, long days ahead, the shift that had begun in the recent past drew to a close.

"My Lord? My Lord - "

Akira's voice startled him out of his thoughts, and Sesshomaru turned his attention back to the other Inu.

"There is something else, Akira?"

"No – no, my Lord."

"Good. You are my closest kin, Akira, and you have proved yourself trustworthy. There are still things that must be prepared for tomorrow night; I will return later but for now, I leave these festivities in your hands."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-dono. I will make sure none of these fools destroy anything. Or each other."

Akira smirked faintly; Sesshomaru only nodded, and then turned sharply away. There were murmurs as he passed, and questions here or there, but few complaints. Without his presence, the drinking became freer, the talk more open. But not even Akira noticed that Kinawai had disappeared with Sesshomaru.

* * *

A/N: And, finally, another chapter! I do apologize for taking so long, but I've been ill for quite some time and it was completely impossible for me to type. In between sleeping, sleeping, and lying in a drug-induced daze, I did scribble the occasional bit here or there, so, with any luck, the next chapter should be quite a bit faster! Anyway, Eldest, Sesshomaru, and Kagome, oh my! Umm...Next Chapter: Presentation Begins, Kagome gets a new Tattoo (and so does Rin!), and Other Stuff! And now...Reviews!

MissTessa: Much thanks! Inu-mama doesn't have much choice, of course; Kagome can blow her up! Of course she won't, because I won't let her...but does she know that?

Ginnie177: Not as soon as I'd like, but ta-da, update! I have to agree with you, everyone become ultra powerful and immortal just doesn't work out right...but for this fic, Kagome becomes youkai because it was necessary to fix the enormous gaping plot hole which is The Well. NOTHING annoys me more than plot holes! Anyway, next chapter is ½ done, so more soon! Thanks for you great review!

Lunarcat12: I'm doomed to never get out as many updates as I'd like – but, still, late is better than never! (I think) Kimitsukiko is doing well at the moment, but soon...hehe.

kouga's older woman: definitely not! And now she has help!

White Ivy: Exactly! Eldest provides a source of outside influence that is very helpful for Kagome...although it may cause trouble later on!

AMUTOLOVER09: A birthday present, a birthday present! Sorry I never got out more for you, but I was busy dying. Now that I'm done with that and alive again, more for you! Kasuka's reaction to Eldest is one of the more amusing things I had fun with – that's why I had her notice the arrival first. There's a good deal more amusement to come from that in the next chapter – I would feel sorry for her, except that she's _evil_! I'd have to say that Kasuka probably embodies the hatred and the resentment of both the hutu _and_ the tutsi...and also she's insane.

TQ23: Sorry to take so long; glad to hear you enjoy the tale! Reviews are always greatly appreciated.

IceCweamWuver: It is really long, huh? There's a sequel, which is about half done, and which I have no intention of posting until this one is done – but there's still a ways to go in this fic. I'd say we're reaching about...oh maybe the halfway point. The action is going to pick up very soon! Thanks much for the review!

twilight's fang: Much thanks for the review; Kasuka's Dragons are most definitely dead! She has summoned them from the afterlife, her ancestors and those who were bound to them...we'll find out more about them pretty soon!

Tiajei: Much thanks for all your reviews! I try to make sure that there aren't grammar and spelling errors, because I have the same problem you do – I _hate_ that! It seems to me that anyone taking the trouble to write fanfiction should take the tiny bit more trouble and ensure that their work is actually legible! I've stopped reading interesting stories myself because there were so many errors that it was impossible to keep going. Anyway, it's glad to know those extra few minutes are appreciated; I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!


	32. XXXII: Remedy Child

XXXII.

Remedy Child

* * *

Kagome and Eldest returned to the Curtained Rooms very quickly, and Kagome was not pleased with what she found there. A circle had formed in the center of the room, and the smiles on the faces of the females that were part of it were spiteful, their eyes cruel. In the center of their circle was Rin, the victim of their taunts. Claws were plucking at her robes and pulling her hair, but none of them had yet dared do worse.

Disapproval brought a tight frown onto Eldest's face, and she opened her mouth to speak – but Kagome was already moving toward the offenders like a whirlwind, her anger dark on her face, red in her eyes.

"Out of my way! Move – _move_!"

Inu scattered away from her like leaves, leaving only the guilty few, exposed in their attempt to flee. Kagome crouched immediately by Rin's side, looked down at her face and saw stillness there, the mask the girl had stolen from Sesshomaru. Fury woke in Kagome that made her earlier anger seem faint by comparison. She took a deep breath, and a flicker of pinkness came to life in the flow of blood dripping from her clenched fists. The room took a collective step back.

Kimitsukiko spoke up from a chair in the corner.

"I told them it was unwise to risk my son's displeasure; they did not listen. I told them it was not wise to risk _your_ displeasure, and they did not listen to that, either...even with the evidence before their eyes."

She shifted so that the empty sleeve at her side flopped and rustled alarmingly. There was an equal rustle of whispers, which were silenced immediately as Kagome laughed. As much as Sesshomaru had insisted that he wanted her in an untouchable position, it still felt wrong to imply that her victory against his mother had been anything more than chance.

"You make it sound like it was so easy, winning in battle against you."

Her statement, the ease of her humor, both saved her mother-in-law face and made it seem that Kagome was experienced in these matters, when nothing could be further from the truth. More, louder whispers, accompanied the sudden and immediate retreat of the five females who had been tormenting Rin. They thought to take advantage of this new distraction to escape, but Kagome turned swiftly, beads jangling, gold flashing, and glared at each one of them. They were fixed into stillness as she spoke.

"This girl is Rin, who was the ward of my mate. As _I_ will be Marked, so will she! Sesshomaru has chosen her to become his daughter; she will be one of the House of Blades. I have been told that he has killed to protect her already, when she was only his ward. Now that he intends to adopt her, what do you think he will do? I wonder if killing you would be enough for him..."

All five of the females she had confronted faded from youkai paleness to bloodless white. There was a swaying moment, and then, one by one, they dropped on their knees in front of her.

"Forgive us, Lady -"

"Yes, forgive us, forgive us!"

But Kagome stood stern over them, and did not allow her expression to change in the slightest; Sesshomaru would have been proud, but Kagome was truly disgusted. This little _incident_ was only one more in a long line of experiences that touched on one of her greatest problems with this world. Humans and youkai, neither trusted the either; the two peoples had drawn themselves into opposing camps and neither side thought of crossing that invisible line.

Those that did suffered consequences...like Rin was now.

_Like I have...and Inuyasha did -and his mother. And even that – that – even Kikyou._

The fact that she was forced to feel pity for Kikyou when really she wanted to hate her made Kagome's anger even sharper. The words she threw at the trembling offenders were harsher than they might otherwise have been.

"It is not _me_ that you should be begging forgiveness from. _I _won't give it to you – I think you're despicable, tormenting a child, a little girl! What could she do to you – what could she possibly do? No – I'm not the one you need to be begging!"

She turned to Rin and gestured at the females kneeling horrified at her feet.

"It is up to you, Rin. Will you forgive them?"

Interesting thoughts flickered across Rin's face. Kagome saw uncertainty there, but not as much as she thought there would be - and anger, which was understandable...but there was also a cold flicker that Kagome had not expected. Intently, Rin studied each of the aggressors, and then turned her back on them all.

"No. No, I won't forgive them. Sesshomaru-sama wouldn't; I won't either!"

She spoke firmly, and then looked up at Kagome and smiled her widest smile.

"Sesshomaru-sama will punish them!"

There was an assurance in her voice which was chilling to hear, and Kagome refrained from thinking about what such _punishment_ was likely to entail. Rin sat beside Kagome, taking in the silence, taking in everything, colors and scents and the reawakening of soft youkai speech, with renewed and equal pleasure. She nodded happily when Kagome found a moment to ask if she was "all right"; Rin thought it an odd question, and wondered what could possibly be wrong. She was not bothered by the sneers of females she didn't know. Soon, she would belong to Sesshomaru-sama; soon, she would be his daughter – his _daughter_.

It was obvious from their demeanor that the youkai clustered around them had many questions, not least about what Kagome had said – a human girl, counted as one of the House of Blades? But Kagome's face did not appear open to questions, and none of them dared to address Eldest...or Rin. The smiling girl-child had returned their awareness to the danger which was Sesshomaru.

While the offenders dispersed, sinking back toward the walls, Kagome sat beside Eldest and kept her hand on Rin's shoulder. After a few moments the girl relaxed on her cushion by Kagome's feet; within a minute, the trio was surrounded by females again, both Dragon and Inu.

Eldest had been pleased to see that her own companions had been intelligent enough to restrain from joining the taunting, and now she was more pleased still to see them moving with the apparent intention of putting aside hostility. The Inu, too, were quiet. There were occasional snarls, and the two groups seated themselves in opposing semicircles, not mingling – but there was no violence, no open disrespect. When they were finally settled and Eldest spoke, all of them listened.

"Well, now that we have overcome that _difficulty_, it is time to turn to the business at hand. This gathering is for the sake of my sister-daughter, to teach her the ways of her new kin, to Mark her in the name of her mate. Miho!"

For the second time, the little female stepped forward with a bundle in hand and turned it over to Eldest. This time, Eldest opened the package in full view of the many peering eyes, untying the leather wrapping and unfolding it to lay the contents bare: black roots, bent and twisted like withered fingers; a knife-needle with a long, thin blade of glass or some sharp crystal, and a blue iron bowl, its inside stained rainbow-black from long centuries of use. The shimmer of the surface reminded Kagome of spilled oil on a blacktop, revealed by a rainy day.

"At Kagome's request, I am the one who will Mark her. According to tradition, in the absence of her mother, it is I who bear the responsibility for mixing the Ink. I sought out the roots of the Demon Flower, long ago when I thought I might sit at such a rite for my own daughter; now I crush them here, in the name of this female who is my sister-daughter. Who will help me? Who speaks for Kagome, that she might enter the House of Blades?"

Suddenly concerned, Kagome's eyes darted around the circle, wondering. She knew none of these females well, and none of them had reason to support her – indeed, a few among them had reason to resent her, even fear her now. But she need not have worried. Kimitsukiko stood, her features set, and did not spare Kagome a glance.

"I speak for her; I was the Lady of the House of Blades, and now I pass my place to her, the mate of my son. As the mother of her mate I will help you, as the Rite requires."

Kagome let out a silent sigh as her shoulders relaxed. She had been afraid that no one would speak up, and then – well, she didn't know what then, and that was part of the problem.

Without further words, Eldest and Kimitsukiko knelt together and began to squeeze a thin, dark juice from the shriveled roots, one at a time. As it collected in the iron bowl, the fire was stirred to new life in the hearth by invisible hands. When the last of the roots had been wrung dry, Eldest placed the bowl in the embers of the fire, and then sat back with a nod. The soft chatter that had sprung up while the others waited died immediately.

"It is begun. At dawn, it will be ready. We have some hours ahead of us until then, so I will begin the Telling of Stories."

The fumes of the bubbling root-liquor settled in the fire spread calmness through the room along with a bitter, fermented scent. Kagome relaxed and stopped worrying about what was going to happen. She found herself deeply involved in listening to Eldest's tale; she recognized elements of the story from the history she had read at Sesshomaru's instruction, as well as some things he had told her in the very beginning, when he was trying to prepare her for the change that had come over her.

"I am old; ancient. Eldest you call me, and I answer. Now I will tell you the story of my life, sister-daughter, that you might gain wisdom to guide your footsteps on the long path ahead. Listen; listen...once, long ago, I was like you and I stood on the threshold of life with my chosen mate. Strong he was and beautiful, in his passion and in his anger, a Dragonlord...the last Dragonlord. Yet he was not strong enough, for after time had passed and we had grown used to peace, Death came visiting and did not leave empty-handed. It was the Inu-no-Taisho who Challenged my mate, furious at the complacency of our people, seeking ceaseless for power, and my mate had long forgotten that thirst, had long before quenched it. So it was that for him that day of Challenge was the last day of his life, and the Inu-no-Taisho banished the fallen House of Fire to the frozen North.

"I went there, and my son with me, and my daughters – my sister too, and her mate, my brothers and their sons – our people, all our people, North, into snow, into darkness. And there were some who went in silence, and some who went with indifference, and some who went with burning vengeance in their hearts. There were battles, and there was retribution, and Death walked heavily laden between the strength of the Inu, here in the fortress he had stolen from my fallen mate, and the strength of Dragon vengeance, hidden in secret places in our exile.

"In anger, in fear, hunted, I hid; my son, my daughters too – my sister and her mate. Inu came, the allies of the Inu no Taisho; they found us and for a time, there was no hiding, only running. Many times my sister begged me for my power, begged me for a concealment which she could not work alone. Many times I refused her, until finally there was tragedy. My son, slain. My daughters, one killed by the other. I walked over my own blood to greet my grief, and when I was buried deep by it and my sister came to me again, asking me to add my power to her own, I could not argue. I acquiesced. I gave her what she asked for - a human life - and after she left me that day I never saw her again. War passed over the land, and time. I found the wood in the North, full of ancient dreams, far from the kin that were left to me. I stayed there alone, until there came a day that I learned of you, my sister-daughter...and _this_ day, when I came once again to this place. Listen well, and learn from my life, sister-daughter. Do not make my mistakes; do not make the mistakes of age."

There was an extended moment of silence. Some of it was the ritual, and some of it was the impact of Eldest's story, known in part by some but told now in full in her own words. Kagome was very still, contemplating what, to her, was the most important part. _"I gave her what she asked for – a human life – and after she left me that day I never saw her again..." _Eldest had helped her sister become human, and then had lost her; where had she gone? Kagome tucked the mystery aside in her thoughts, and took a deep breath.

It was Kimitsukiko who took up the thread of the Rite when it became clear that no one else wanted to follow such a legend. She was surprised when Kagome's attention on her became nearly as intense as it had been on Eldest.

"I have born a pup, my son; you call me Mother, and I answer. Now I will tell you the story of my life, mate of my son, that you might gain strength to guide your footsteps on the long path ahead. Listen; listen...once, long ago, I was like you and I stood on the threshold of life with my chosen mate. Strong he was, and beautiful in his passion and in his anger, the Inu-no-Taisho. And he lived for a thousand years, and was defeated in no Challenge. And a second thousand years, and many vied for his attention, and desired him...yet he took no mate, and sired no pups, and sat alone in his fortress, taken from his conquered foe, the Dragonlord...the last Dragonlord.

"And a third thousand years, and I went to him then, a female in the entourage of my father, the Lord of the House of Night; and perhaps it was the intention of my father, and perhaps it was the intention of fate, but he was moved by me. He killed for me, and Challenged for me – and as is the way with such things eventually my eye turned toward him, and he took his encouragement for what it was. My father agreed, and it was summer when I became his mate, the Lady of the House of Blades; its first Lady. Time passed. Then came terrible days, days I do not like to remember. My son had been born; my son was growing - near his fiftieth year, and the image of his father in looks and in strength. Rebellion whispered in the north, and my mate answered with a roar; blood followed, and my mate made enemies in his glory, and my son distinguished himself in battle, and even I stalked the forests seeking a foe, wrath in my heart. But again, time passed; a hundred years, and then again a hundred years. Silence came to the rebellious whisper, the silence that belongs to the dead. My son gained in strength, in reputation. It was well, until the accusation came from the shadows that accompany power. That I had sought undue influence over my son; that I might seek to rule him, take away his will, absorb his power. The Inu-no-Taisho did not believe...but neither did he disbelieve.

"Perhaps it was only a rumor meant to disconcert me, perhaps it was only meant as an excuse to cover the truth; it was not long after that I discovered the human, _his_ human, who my mate had chosen for a lover – the mother of his second son. I exiled myself; I would not be part of his destruction. My mate was killed, killed by humans, killed by Dragons; even I could not save him, even I, who was his mate...once it was my pride, that my son was like him. Now the similarity between them is darkening to my eyes. On those rare occasions when my son visits me, the sight of him at the foot of my stairs is always a knife of memory; the pale, tall figure, white-robed, armored, hair blowing in the wind. It is only afterward that my vision clears, and I remember. The bond of a mate is a bond for all time; even now, when I can do nothing but live with the ragged ends of my...regret. Do not make my mistakes, mate of my son; do not make the mistakes of a mother."

There was, again, silence. Most of the females in the room were quite familiar with the unsteady history of Kimitsukiko's life, the roughness of her relationships with both her mate and her son. Kagome had _not_ known; Sesshomaru had not mentioned any of it, and it was not the sort of story that would be included in a history...at least not yet. After several moments, when no one continued, Eldest prompted them all.

"I have spoken for age, and she for a mother; who speaks for youth?"

Earlier, while Eldest and Kimitsukiko had been preparing the Demon Flower roots, Kagome had engaged in nothing-conversations with several of the females near her: one was a younger half-sibling of Kimitsukiko. Another, so pale that even her eyes were colorless, had introduced herself as a granddaughter of Akira, the Inu-lord Kagome remembered from the day she had burned the Fox; Aoi was her name.

It was that female who spoke up now, and her words were brief and soft.

"I am like you; Youth you call me, and I answer. Now I will tell you the story of my life, that you might gain courage to guide your footsteps on the long path ahead. Listen; listen...I am like you and I stand on the threshold of life with a chosen mate. Strong he should be, and beautiful in his passion and in his anger. We are taught that we are savage flowers in the forest of life, deadly and beautiful; we are youkai, and when we choose our mates we choose for power, and for glory, and for love. Power, the moving drumbeat of our lives; glory, that our lives might be remembered; love, that the memory might have meaning.

"And, too, I have seen the darkness and the tragedies of life; I have lived through Challenges lost by siblings, I have seen the blood run black from my brother's throat, I have watched the fire eat his white bones. I have learned that this is the fate that awaits us all; I have learned that an immortal span does not mean we will live forever.

"Before I learned this I walked in dangerous ways uncaring and took my breaths for granted; before I learned this I did not revel in the hunt or in the Challenge. Now the thrill in my blood is the thrill of my waking life, and it moves me every day to the edge of my senses. Do not make my mistakes, though you are like me; do not make the mistakes of youth."

Kagome felt tightness rising in her throat, a burning in her eyes. Eldest's warning, Kimitsukiko's warning...those were warnings for the future. The words of Aoi, on the other hand, touched her own past and all those things which had brought her to this point.

"The mistakes of youth"...she knew them too well, and they had caused her pain; but those mistakes had also brought her _here_. She found herself unable to regret that.

More strange stories were told, some that were legends and some that came from the lives of the females around them, but the night wore on, and the dull black sky gained the purple warmth which comes just before dawn, and Rin fell asleep, her head pillowed on Kagome's lap. Kagome, too, was beginning to feel drowsy. She had been sitting still listening for a long time now, such a long time. The vapors of the liquid still boiling in the hearth had an influence, too; she saw other heads nodding around her, eyes blinking sleepily in the pink rays of sunlight sneaking over the horizon.

At that touch of morning, Eldest held up a hand; the female who was speaking, an older Dragon whose name Kagome couldn't remember, stopped mid-sentence.

"It is enough; it is done. It is dawn, and now we must finish the Ink; there are two before us now who must be Marked. Someone take it from the fire to cool; sister-daughter, awaken the girl-child."

* * *

Unnoticed by everyone, Shippou was prowling the quiet and empty hallways alone. He and Rin had expected to be left alone together, but then Sesshomaru and Kimitsukiko had intervened, and now Rin was with Kagome, dressed up and waiting to become part of the House of Blades...to become Sesshomaru's daughter – and Kagome's.

_Their daughter, their real daughter, adopted and everything..._

He was trying as hard as he could to be happy for Rin, and not jealous, but his eyes were burning and his cheeks were wet and his thoughts kept going over and over a question that he couldn't answer.

_How come...how come I can't be part of their family too?_

Without really intending to, Shippou wandered toward the East Wing. Kagome's scent was stronger in that direction, and he could hear voices murmuring quietly, hers among them. On tiptoe, he passed through clinging curtains and made his way to a hallway shut off at the far end by a painted door. He paused longingly; his nose and his ears both told him that Kagome was behind the closed door. Faintly, the sound of female laughter accosted him, and he bared his teeth at the door and took a step closer.

A hand closed on his shoulder from behind.

Shippou jumped several feet into the air; no one had said anything specific, but he had a distinct feeling that this wasn't somewhere he was supposed to be right now. The fact that a now-familiar scent revealed it was Sesshomaru behind him produced a mixed response. Fear, because perhaps he really _wasn't_ supposed to be here; surprise, because the sounds of a few dozen youkai milling around outside had come to him clearly, and he had expected Sesshomaru to be distracted with his kin – and frustration...anger, really, because Shippou had expected to have his family back, his _okaa-san_, even if the circumstances were changed. Instead, he was alone again; alone as if he were still waiting for Kagome to return to him.

"Shippou, I have been looking for you."

Slowly, Shippou turned around and met Sesshomaru's gaze.

"For – me? How come?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"You think there is no place for you in the Rite? You do not wish to tend to your mother and sister? You have not even dressed, Shippou; it appears that you have not been back in your room since you woke this morning."

Shippou's mouth opened and closed silently for a moment, and then finally he shrugged.

"I didn't...I mean, it's not like I'm really part of your family or anything, so I was just trying to keep out of the way."

He tried to make his voice nonchalant, and failed. Sesshomaru's stance straightened almost imperceptibly.

"You call Rin _sister_. You call Kagome _okaa-san_."

"Yeah, but that's...that's just words! Tomorrow 'kaa-san will be a Lady, and Rin will be a daughter of your House. Really your daughter -"

_And Kagome's too._ Shippou didn't say it, but Sesshomaru heard the unspoken continuation and suddenly understood. It wasn't being bound to _him_ that the kit was desirous of, but rather being bound to Kagome.

"Kit, if Kagome were to hear you saying that your relationship with her is "just words", she would be very unhappy. You know that is false; she saved your life, there is a true bond between you. If she did not consider you her son she would never have been drawn to you like she was."

"But I can't...why can't _I_ be Marked, too? Or...do _you_ not want me? I won't be any trouble - "

Sesshomaru looked at Shippou in surprise.

"You are Kitsune, youkai. There can be no Ink for you until your Awakening, when you come into the fullness of your power. You are too young now."

"But – but Rin is younger than I am by three whole seasons, and she's _human_! How come -"

"_Because_ she is human there are...different restraints on her participation in the Rite. It is dangerous to work demon magic on mortal flesh regardless; her youth is not a problem. There is no Awakening in her future, and no day of binding when she will be made one with the House of her mate. Do you understand, kit? It is not because she has been chosen over you; there was no choosinginvolved."

Shippou stared up at him for a moment, and then let out a sharp sigh.

"I understand."

He contemplated for a moment, and then a quiet, carefully worded question wrangled its way out of his mouth.

"Does...does that mean that someday - when I'm older - I'll be part of your House, too?"

Sesshomaru barely hesitated. Kitsune or not, Shippou belonged to Kagome – and had he not healed the kit with his own blood?

"Yes."

Shippou grinned; Sesshomaru nodded once, sharply.

"We understand each other. Now – as I first said, I have need of you, kit. The reaction of a human to the Ink is always a dangerous proposition, but Rin is strong. She will survive it, and she will be stronger still, but she needs someone to watch over her while your mother and I are involved in the Presentation and the end of the Rite. I would like to leave Rin in your care today; do you accept this responsibility, Shippou?"

Shippou's chest swelled; his nod was emphatic.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama! Is Rin -"

"Rin is with Kagome and the females of my House...and meddling Dragons who cannot leave well enough alone."

There was a sneer in this last bit which Shippou didn't understand.

"Meddling..."

Sesshomaru pulled in a swift breath and let it out sharply.

"Never mind, kit; they won't bother you. Now – the one who Marks Rin will ask for the blood of the one who claimed her to mix in the Ink, because she is not youkai herself. I expect that Kagome will offer, but that is not enough; Rin is mine."

Carefully, Sesshomaru retrieved a small glass vial from within his sleeve and then pierced the ball of his thumb on the claw of his forefinger. Blood welled to the surface and he pressed his thumb against the edge of the vial, keeping the small wound open until the glass was full.

"Take this, Shippou, and bring it to Rin. You may remain with her, if you like. I do not insist, but I believe it would make Rin _happy_ if you, too, were to offer your strength for her Ink."

Shippou nodded, his expression serious, and took the small vial with a careful hand.

"Should I go now, Sesshomaru-sama? In there?"

"Yes. Yes, it should be nearly time."

Eagerly, Shippou took a few steps toward the door at the end of the hall, and then stopped and looked back over his shoulder.

"Sesshomaru-sama, why don't you just bring it to her yourself?"

Sesshomaru glared at the door.

"During the time of seclusion, males may not enter. If Eldest had not come, it would not have -"

But he stopped, and shrugged faintly.

"You are only a kit; the restriction does not apply to you."

Shippou nodded, and continued down the hall. Shippou knocked twice, and Sesshomaru watched until the door slid open to admit him and then turned away. He was unsatisfied; he was displeased. He could not be at Rin's side during her ordeal, and he could not to be with Kagome...though they were _his_, both of them. He damned tradition, for denying him – and Eldest, for being present to enforce it.

Then again...there were ways around anything, weren't there? Rin would be surrounded by females, would have Shippou with her and his mother to watch over her, however much she might dislike the task...but Kagome...Kagome would be sent off at sunset for her ritual bath.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he tamed it with effort. Slowly, he walked away; this would require some planning, and perhaps a guard would be best – someone trustworthy. Akira was busy already, and not yet close enough for a task of such a personal nature. But -

"Sesshomaru, I was looking for you."

Sesshomaru turned.

"Kinawai. Just the person I wanted to see."

Kinawai looked at Sesshomaru's face and dread collected cold at his temples and slid towards his feet.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what you're about to say?"

Sesshomaru allowed his wild smile free reign, and did not miss Kinawai's shudder in response. He laughed.

"Walk with me, Kinawai..."

* * *

It was invisible hands that opened the door for Shippou, and the females on the other side were greatly surprised by the little Kitsune who came in and marched purposefully between them. He made for Rin unerringly, and handed her the glass full of thick crimson fluid.

"From Sesshomaru-sama. You'll need it for the Ink, he said."

Rin nodded, but before either child had a chance for further words, Eldest interrupted.

"The black juice is ready; it is time for the making of the Ink. Where is the girl-child, Rin?"

Leaving Shippou behind, Rin stepped forward and a little circle was cleared around her.

"I am here."

Eldest stepped forward, carrying a small bowl which had been filled from the simmering liquid on the hearth – and the glittering knife-needle.

"Have you chosen someone to hold the knife?"

Rin shook her head and turned to peer around her. Kagome could see a studious expression in Rin's face, and the girl looked at her for a long moment, brow wrinkled. Then she turned to Kimitsukiko.

"Lady Mother of Sesshomaru-sama, will you Mark my Ink?"

There was breath-holding moment that captivated the entire room, as Kimitsukiko stood regally and approached the human girl.

"Very well."

She held out her hand, and Eldest gave her the knife-needle. Then she turned to Rin again.

"Girl, you are human; the ways of youkai are not your ways and the thinness of your blood will never awaken the Ink. Do you carry the blood of the one who claims you?"

Rin nodded and held out the small crystal vial that Shippou had given her, full of red liquid. It stood balanced carefully at the center of her palm. Eldest took the vial and handed Rin the bowl of steaming liquid in exchange.

"Drink, girl; a single mouthful only."

Rin accepted the bowl without question. She took a single sip of the dark liquid, and then Eldest relieved her of the burden. Carefully, she pulled out the stopper from the little vial. For a moment Kagome's eyes widened; the scent that came from the opened glass was strong and familiar.

_Sesshomaru...his blood? Why?_

Rin's eyes had grown glazed, glassy. Careful not to spill a drop, Eldest poured the blood into the root-liquor. The liquid bubbled for a moment and then turned a deep, glossy red while Kimitsukiko spoke.

"This girl-child, human though she might be, is to be taken into the House of Blades. My son has said this will be so. She brings the blood of the one who names her: will anyone else claim this girl, offer her a place, give their life-blood for her life's bonding?"

There was a moment of silence as all the eyes in the room wandered from one face to another. Only Kagome stepped forward at once; she didn't even have to think about it. Rin already called her _okaa-san_; this would just be a formalization of that tie.

"I will give my blood for her -"

"Me too!"

"If she is to be a daughter of the House of Blades – I, too, will strengthen her."

"And so will I."

Kagome whipped around. The second voice that had spoken was Shippou's, but the third belonged to Kimitsukiko and the fourth was _Eldest's_. The whole room went still, absorbing what had been said, and then erupted in silence as Kimitsukiko came forward and claimed what had been offered: first from Kagome, a thin slice across her palm, and then from Shippou, and herself - and then from Eldest, though Kimitsukiko's fingers trembled as she made the necessary cut and let the blood drip into the fuming Ink.

No one else moved. The red liquid cycled through glaring violet, shimmering cyan, and again rich red before it finally took on a brilliant golden sheen. When it appeared to have finally settled Kimitsukiko pulled Rin flat on the floor, and then, very carefully, dipped the shimmering knife-needle in the Ink.

"Someone hold her. This will not be easy."

A few of her own females came forward and knelt beside Rin, holding her arms and legs and especially her head still.

While they were thus readying themselves, Eldest touched Kagome's shoulder and drew her away toward the door that led out into the rest of the fortress.

"You must go now to the baths. Some of those who serve your mate will be with you soon, to purify you for the Marking and the Rite. Things are not quite the same for you as for her; you are youkai, and she is human – you are a mate, and she is not."

Kagome turned, and hesitated, her eyes on Rin, and Eldest reached out a reassuring hand to pat her arm.

"Don't worry, sister-daughter; I will watch her, and your kit, too, will stay. She is a strong child. She will survive."

A momentary horror drained Kagome's skin of all color – Rin would _survive_? She felt suddenly pregnant with second thoughts, but it was too late. Already, the scent of Rin's blood had joined the nurtured Ink; Kimitsukiko had made the first cut. Fascinated, Kagome watched over her shoulder as the gold shimmer of the Ink seemed to flow willingly off the knife and into Rin's skin.

"Go, sister-daughter. Go; your time will come soon enough."

Invisible hands hurried Kagome out of the room. She paused in the hallway, still looking back over her shoulder, and caught Shippou's eye. He gave her a sharp nod, and then the door was closed and Kagome sighed and walked slowly toward the stairs that would bring her to the basement.

* * *

A/N: Ta-da! I _am_ faster! Two in one month, and February's the shortest month there is! :D I'm so pleased with myself. At any rate, Rin is now Marked, Shippou is no longer feeling left out, Sesshomaru is plotting, and Kagome is...going to take bath. :P I had planned on having the Marking of both of them in this chapter, but...it was squashed! There are already about a thousand words in the next chapter, just because I had to cut them off of this chapter, heh. Coming Soon, Rin's Reaction, Sesshomaru Breaks the Rules, and...some other stuff :D Read and Review! Also: I know it's been my habit to answer reviewers at the end of the chapter. From now on, I'm going to answer anyone I can in the review page; that means only non-logged in people and anonymous reviewers will be down here. There've been so many reviews that the A/N has been really bogged down lately, and I've had trouble answering reviewers who aren't yet on the current chapter. So, with that in mind, Reviews!

TQ23: Your PM feature is disabled, so I will respond here! Much thanks for review, and I have to say, I appreciate your attitude about updates. Granted, nobody buys my stuff (yet- ha!) and a chapter is shorter than a whole book...but I would still rather update with a good chapter later than a really dumb one soon. Eldest will continue to be helpful for Kagome - and I will continue not dying! (I hope!)

AMUTOLOVER09: You don't have a message bubble, so you stay here too! Great thanks for review, and good wishes - I do my best not to die, but sometimes...well, I fail. :P Shippou has been included - ta da! He was sad, but now he is not; and...AH, I TRIED...but the ceremony was waaay too long. I forgot, you see, that I was Marking both Rin and Kagome...poo. So, Rin starts off Chapter 33, and Kagome finishes it off - and then it seems like the Presentation bit after the Ink will be in 34! And then... VIOLENCE. But I won't say whose :D.

Onward!


	33. XXXIII: Interludes and Examinations

XXXIII.

Interludes and Examinations

* * *

Kagome found her way to the bath easily, now that she knew about the bedroom stair. There were several _presences_ waiting for her, along with the one that usually attended her, and Kagome entered the water slowly, wondering what, exactly, might make up a _youkai _rite of _purifying_.

She was destined not to find out.

Perhaps thirty seconds after she entered the water – perhaps less – there was a scattering of those _presences _and she was alone.

"Um...hello?"

Her words echoed back at her from the steam, without answer.

"Now what am I supposed to do?"

She turned, scanning the room around her, and then whipped around quickly at the sound of a splash – someone was in her pool! But her momentary panic subsided almost immediately. Sesshomaru's scent and the low, rough sound of his laughter were both familiar, and she relaxed into a scowl and splashed water at him.

"Sesshomaru! I thought that -"

"What would you think, Kagome? That someone else is foolish enough to come near you _here_? That there might be even a _single_ individual stupid enough to try to take what is mine?"

Kagome scowled at him and crossed her arms.

"Maybe! I'm not used to...to _this _yet!"

She made a sweeping gesture that was inclusive of everything around them.

"In case you hadn't noticed, we've been alone here except for Rin and Shippou. Now, all of your kin is watching everything I do - and then discussing it! How would I know how your family acts around you? How would I know what to expect from random youkai I've never met before?"

She took a deep breath, and continued.

"And then on top of everything else - _Oyume_-_sama_! I don't have a _clue _what to do about _her_ -"

Sesshomaru had been listening to Kagome's rant with a half-amused grin, but at this, his eyebrow quirked.

"_Do_ about her? Kagome, there is nothing to be done about Eldest. She is...like a force of nature – something to be endured. Or redirected, if possible..."

He shook his head and slipped through the water to her side. Kagome relaxed against the wall of the spring beside him and looked up at him through her hair.

"Sesshomaru? I don't understand – I thought you were pleased that -"

"I am pleased that she has made it nearly impossible for your blood to be spilled tonight. I am much _less_ pleased that she now dominates the Rite – Marking Rin without me, trying to keep _you_ away from me..."

For a moment he stood straight and glowered at nothing – but then he shrugged, the faintest movement of his shoulders, and smiled an equally faint smile.

"That _trying _I find aggravating...but she cannot keep you from me."

He bent over her then and drew her up out of the water for a searing kiss, as if to prove his point. When he finally let her go he felt much less irritated, and allowed Kagome to pull away far enough that a single brave pair of hands could try to bathe her with the ritual oils. She squirmed and glistened, and Sesshomaru was pleased enough to sit in the hot water and watch her.

"Do you remain wary of Kasuka, mate? There are more important problems, but I did not expect for other Dragons to join her. Probably you are safe, for now...those who came with Eldest are not likely to listen to her. Still, she will want to convince you - "

Kagome shivered and waved him off.

"Yes, yes, she will want to convince me that you and your House are the source of all evil. But I was thinking – I know how to get around that!"

"Oh?"

The word had a cautious sound.

Kagome tossed him a bright smile over her shoulder as she turned in the water. Invisible hands guided red oil down her shoulders towards the small of her back .

"I will _let_ her."

He was astounded.

"_What_?"

She laughed.

"If she tries, I will let her convince me. Not really, of course – but I figure, why give her a reason to cause trouble? If she thinks she can get to me, I'll be safe from her for a while...and didn't you say we had more important problems? The Council is coming tonight."

He was amused to hear such a reminder coming from her, but she was right. And in any case, it didn't matter; her intentions were dangerous, but such deception _might_ be useful, _if_ Kagome could accomplish it.

"This is all true – but be careful, Kagome. Do not try to be too clever, and do not forget – all youkai can scent deception to some extent, even if they are not as gifted as an Inu."

Kagome smiled faintly and tried not to roll her eyes; pressure on her shoulder informed her that it was time to rinse, and she ducked down under the water for a long moment. The oil clung to her skin, but when she finally got it off she felt _very_ clean.

"Was there another reason you came down here, Sesshomaru? Eldest said that I was supposed to be in seclusion for a night and a day, and that my bathing was for _purifying purposes_."

He kissed her again, abruptly, silencing her, and then pulled back.

"Eldest is right. The Rite demands that you be kept away - but I do not care about _tradition_. Also, Kinawai watches for me at the door; it is the least he can do after causing so much trouble."

The glimmer in his eyes was both lusty and playful; he caught hold of her hips and pulled her towards him, and Kagome moved closer without resistance. The warm scent of his skin in the hot water encouraged her – and anyway, couldn't she take finish this purifying bath..._after_?

His tongue traced the teeth-marks at her throat gently, and she shuddered in his grasp, allowed her head to fall back and then leaned forward, pressed her forehead against his chest.

"Not fair, Sesshomaru; and _why _can you do that, anyway?"

Something like a smirk peered at her from his eyes.

"That was your acceptance of the claim I made on you – that is the mark of the moment you acknowledged you were mine."

"Ahh..."

Kagome took a deep breath and then smiled very slowly.

"But then..._you_ are also_ mine_. _Only _mine."

And in the middle of the grin, she leaned forward and found the scar at his throat, the only marred spot in his whole flesh, and sank in her teeth. He let out a strangled groan; she kept her teeth locked in place, tasted the rich metal sweetness of his blood, and grasped his hands tightly, keeping them away.

Whatever her intentions were, they were interrupted by a sudden noise, a high and terrible scream. Sesshomaru started upright and flung himself out of the water, was half dressed before Kagome had a chance to even move and then reached out and grabbed her, lifted her out of the water.

"Rin – it is _Rin_. Come _now_, Kagome -"

She had barely a moment to wrap a towel around herself before he was dragging her off, following that terrible sound.

* * *

The pain was like nothing Rin had ever experienced. It began the moment the Ink first penetrated her skin; it began as warmth, and then became burning that spread around her skull, poured down her back, uncomfortable, unpleasant, but bearable. It seemed to go on forever, and then the pain became more than burning, grew into agony and was distilled, became the essence of agony.

Her eyes flickered open and then shut; she could see faces, oddly contorted, and she heard herself screaming, a thin, terrible sound. She was on the floor, and if not for the hands holding her down, her thrashing would have been terrible. As it was, she shook and twisted; her scream was a continuous throb of sound that had pressed all the Inu in the room but Kimitsukiko against the walls.

Sesshomaru raced into the room with Kagome two steps behind him, took in Rin's condition in one flashing glance, and then was at her side. Only Eldest stood between him and the girl, taking in his damp skin, the dark mark at his throat fresh-bitten, and the towel that had been hastily wrapped around Kagome's nakedness.

"Sesshomaru! You defile the purifying -"

"**Silence**!"

He spoke without looking at her, already kneeling by Rin's side. The room descended into shock; even if he was _Sesshomaru_, to disregard Eldest in such a way -

But none of them paid attention to the fact that Eldest said not another word; that her mouth had snapped shut like a trap as she stepped backwards. They were too busy watching the little scene playing out before them on the floor. Sesshomaru disbanded the females who had been holding Rin down, and lifted the girl into his arms.

She was immediately quieter; awareness faded away from her and she dropped into a black internal pit, unconscious, though her flesh still shook and spasmed under the influence of the Ink. Without another word for anyone, Sesshomaru turned away and brought her with him to the privacy of the room he shared with Kagome. Shippou followed, trotting at his heels, his face full of concern. Kagome stayed by his side, running to keep up. Eldest did not try again to reprimand them for their violation of the Rite - not with Sesshomaru's voice still ringing in her ears. How long had it been, since she had stood in the presence of someone who could silence her with a word?

_Ages...ages. Not since...those ancient days. _

And though disquieting, the thought was oddly pleasant.

* * *

Rin awoke, still screaming, and stopped at once...but after a moment, she realized that she was not really awake. Around her, though she could see her_self_, was only darkness. Pale fear flickered to life in her belly; she had been in a place like this once before.

_Was Sesshomaru-sama wrong? Am I not strong enough – am I...dead?_

In the darkness, a light startled into life, thin and blue. She stood and turned toward it, relieved to see something, _anything_ – and then almost recoiled in surprise. The light was not a shapeless glow, it was a figure – an approaching figure. It had an outline that was familiar; as it drew closer, a hushed exclamation escaped her lips.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

But she shook her head immediately, and her eyes opened very wide. The figure halted in front of her, and Rin dropped to her hands and knees and pressed her forehead against the...ground.

"Lord Father of Sesshomaru-sama!"

She was surprised to hear laughter, and found herself lifted into the air, uncurling into a standing posture though there were no hands on her. She stood very still in the _nothing_ but could not help her eyes wandering up toward his face.

"**So, you are the one who saved my son.**"

The glowing figure of the Inu-no-Taisho stared down at her with enigmatic eyes as gold as his sons', and then smiled.

"**Well done.**"

Rin continued to stare, and said nothing. What was there to say?

"**A quiet one, I see. Girl, what is your name?**"

_That_ she could answer.

"My name is Rin, Lord Father of Sesshomaru-sama."

She heard more, deeper laughter, and was confused. Her name was funny?

"**Rin, hmm? Do you know where you are, Rin? Do you know why you are here?**"

"Um...maybe? I was becoming Sesshomaru-sama's daughter, but instead I think I died. This _looks_ like the Land of the Dead, but...Rin is alone. Except for you, Lord Father of Sesshomaru-sama."

The luminescent figure of the Inu no Taisho shook his head.

"**You are not dead. This place is in-between; it knows you, girl, so it is here that you are waiting while your body struggles at the border of worlds. You have a deep connection to this place; you are twice dead and still unburied.**"

His expression became thoughtful.

"**They are few, the ones who can make such a claim.**"

Rin did not understand all of what he was saying, but a few words stuck out at her.

"Am I...I am different?"

"**You are neither human nor demon, mortal nor immortal. You will grow and age like the kin you were born to; you will have a life and death, but both will be tainted by what is **_**Other**_**. You are a Gateway. You are an open Door.**"

There was a pause, in which Rin tried and failed to understand. Then:

"**It is time for you to return. I accept you, Rin, as a daughter of the House of Blades. Tell my son... he, too, has done well."**

He stepped forward, and reached out to touch her face; he drew his thumbs across her cheeks and she felt pain as the long claws cut her, left two bloody stripes that wept red. There was a brilliant flash, and the blue-lit figure faded out of her vision. Rin felt a pull that was both familiar and reassuring, though she had only felt it twice before: the pull of the living world. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again a moment later it was to see Shippou's green gaze poised two inches above her face.

"Shippou?"

Her voice was hoarse, but lively with excitement, and Shippou sat back with a thump and a grin.

"Rin! You're okay – I was really getting worried. You screamed _really _loud, and then you were so quiet – but wow, Rin! Your Mark – and your face – and your _eyes –_"

He paused as if remembering something and then jumped up and darted toward the door.

"But I've got to tell Sesshomaru-sama – Sesshomaru-sama, she's awake! Rin is awake!"

Rin winced and curled into herself a little as Shippou bounced off the bed, and he turned to her at once, alert to her discomfort.

"Rin? Are you okay, Rin?"

"Hurts, Shippou..."

She shivered a little, and Shippou gnawed on his lip worriedly.

"Well, Sesshomaru-sama said it would be hard – just rest, Rin; I'll watch over you."

Rin turned slightly, and smiled a little.

"You're a good big brother, Shippou."

His grin was wide and gleaming as he took up position at the end of her bed.

"'Course I am."

Shippou's call had caught immediate attention. There was a slamming sound, and then Sesshomaru hurried into the room. His expression was just a little wild, but it calmed as he came toward Rin and the smooth health of her scent was impressed on him, a new layer of depth in it but nothing disturbing. Just as the door was closing, Kagome came in, consternation on her face, but it faded almost immediately.

Sesshomaru spoke to gain Rin's attention.

"Rin -"

At the sound of his voice, Rin fled her bed and flung herself across the room.

"Otou-sama. Otou-sama – _thank you_, Otou-sama!"

As she had only done once before, she hugged him, wrapping her arms around his knees. To the surprise of everyone in the room, Sesshomaru bent, and then knelt, and drew her close. His hair hid his face, his eyes, but Kagome felt the fluctuation of his feelings and her eyes widened in surprise. He really _did_ love the little girl; how and why were immaterial. He didn't even react to the new title he appeared to have been gifted with; if anything, she thought it pleased him. Amused, she focused on Shippou and wondered if Sesshomaru's reaction would be the same when – not if - the kit decided to imitate his _sister_.

The moment passed. Sesshomaru stood, and looked more like his old self; Rin, however, did _not_. As he took in her changes, he crouched again and tilted her chin up, examining the Mark that had been made on her forehead and the other, more _unexpected_ results.

Interested, Rin reached up and gingerly touched a finger to her forehead. The place where she knew the Mark had been cut into her skin was both hot and oddly numb. Actually...her body felt like that in general; hot, and numb, and achy inside.

"Rin, come. Look at yourself."

"Yes, otou-sama."

She followed him across the room and peered into the mirror that hung on the inside of the wardrobe door. Carefully, she reached out one little hand to touch her reflection, blinking in surprise. The mark on her forehead was something like she expected, but it was not the pale blue of Sesshomaru's crescent. Instead, it was dark, bloody red; twin streaks beneath her eyes on either side of her face echoed the color, in the places where the claws of the Inu no Taisho's spirit had cut her. It was her eyes, though, which stared back at her most strangely; they had taken on, not the Inu-amber hue of Sesshomaru's eyes, but a pure gold color. In the light, they appeared strangely liquid; as she stepped forward into the shadows close to the mirror, they gained an odd, reflective flatness. Rin blinked a few times, and then smiled, pleased and accepting.

"Otou-sama, I am _different_!"

But the words sparked the memory of her vision-dream, and Rin sucked in a quick, deep, breath and turned to meet Sesshomaru's eyes.

"I almost forgot! I saw the Otou-sama of Otou-sama; he said strange things, and a message for you."

Sesshomaru stood still, as if frozen. His words came slowly.

"You saw...you had...a vision of...my father? What did he say, Rin?"

"He said I am not dead, and he accepts me in the House of Blades. He cut me _here_."

Her fingers reached up and touched the marks on her cheeks.

"He said to tell you that you've done well, otou-sama. He did not say _how_, though. I am sorry."

She smiled at him uncertainly, and then turned back to her reflection, her fingers reaching out again toward the sparkle of her eyes in her reflection , one gold, one violet.

Sesshomaru did not, could not speak. Kagome came forward then and herded Rin back into bed; he tossed her a grateful glance over his shoulder, and then retreated to an open balcony on a western gallery. Seven hours had passed while they waited for Rin to fight her way through the ink, and he had known that it was a difficult trial...but for her to come so close to death that she could return bearing such a message – that was beyond anything he had expected.

Still, he was pleased. He drew in a deep, clean breath of outside air, and stared out toward the horizon and the sinking sun visible through the open Gate. No one could argue; Rin was his daughter now, was _family_; anyone could see that.

He smiled to himself, thinking that soon, _soon_, Kagome too would be Marked, his to any eye...his for all time. He was not to be left in peace, however; he was disturbed by an unlikely voice.

"Ahh...I should have known I would find you here, young Inu; it is a good place to watch the sky from, is it not?"

The smile vanished from his face; slowly, Sesshomaru turned to confront Eldest.

"It is. Tell me, do you intend to continue with this attitude?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Sesshomaru."

It was the first time she had addressed him by name; there was a warning in the cool tones with which she spoke, but he ignored it.

"Don't you? Perhaps I should explain: you arrived here to support my Kagome, claiming rights of kin – you turned all questions, all eyes, away from her and onto yourself. You have lived in exile for millennia, alone in the dark woods you favor – and now you are here, in this place, your ancient home, subjecting yourself to pain and to memories...and for what? The presentation of my mate, a female you have never before seen...an Inu, who lived her life as a human and never once spent a moment in a Dragon's flesh!"

He turned and looked at her then. His eyes burned her; she startled herself with an involuntary step backwards and realized with an internal pause that it was the second time he had done this to her; to _her_!

"I will ask you again, Eldest. Do you intend to continue this way, pretending lighthearted unconcern, pretending closeness with strangers? Or will you tell me why it is that I have been the _recipient_ of your _special attentions_?"

"You speak of the message I sent with Kinawai, of my presence here?"

He studied her in silence, and then nodded shortly.

"Yes. Among other things."

But if he thought that her open admission of his question would lead to answers, he was mistaken.

"It is given to me to know many things, young Inu, of which the true nature of your mate is one. But I am afraid it is _not_ given that _you_ should know the sources of my knowledge. Perhaps...another day. It is enough for you to know that I have come here for Kagome's sake, for my sister-daughter. She is the last of my close-kin still living; her presence is to me a most unexpected gift."

She left him without further words, passing silently through the curtained door. Sesshomaru watched her go, and then turned back to the sunset sky.

* * *

Since the crisis had passed and Rin's life was assured, Kagome had no further excuse to escape her purification and the Rite that would follow it. Eldest came for her, and brought her back to the East Wing and a great, wide open space that had been prepared in the middle of the Curtained Rooms; screens and blinds and furniture had been pushed back, curtains removed and furs laid down.

"Go to the baths now, Kagome – and make sure you are _alone_ this time. When you return come to this room; you must be dressed before you are introduced to the Council and the Marking begins."

Kagome flushed scarlet and nodded, then hurried off. This time, she was indeed alone, except for the invisible hands that had come to help her bathe. Again, red oil was slicked over her skin, and then a blue and foaming wash that left her skin pale and cool even in the hot water.

Tugging hands pulled her out of the water then and brought her to the great hearth near the main entrance to the wide rocky chamber that held the springs; she had never before seen it lit, but now Kagome's eyes took in a roaring fire the size of a small house, casting its glare onto the blanketing steam.

Furs had been laid down, and Kagome knelt before the fire while two pairs of hands went to work on her hair, drying, combing, oiling. Other hands grasped her limbs gently, and began to shave away the silvery down of her pubic and underarm hair. When they were finished, all the helpers but one scattered, and Kagome was left with only her more familiar companion. Swiftly, she was dressed in a thin layer of gauzy undergarments, and then wrapped in an over-robe and hustled through the fortress to the room in the East Wing where Eldest was waiting.

Most of the other females were sitting apart in clusters now, Dragon and Inu, but Eldest, the one called Miho, and Kimitsukiko were waiting for Kagome and whisked her away into a small side-apartment as soon as she appeared. Inside, spread out and hung carefully to avoid wrinkling, was an elaborate set of robes, more so even than what Sesshomaru had dressed her in to greet her family.

Kagome counted twelve layers of robes, in gold and brilliant crimson with hints of blue and deep purple that would show at the throat and sleeves. They were the colors of the House of Fire, the ancient colors of the Dragonlord's days that only Eldest could claim for herself – Eldest, who had been the mate of the last Dragonlord. She had brought the robes of her own mating for her sister-daughter, ancient silk preserved by the fact that youkai hands had woven it, that youkai flesh had worn it. There was more to this fabric than the slickness and sparkle human skill could give; Kagome felt real metal in the fabric, but it was light as air.

Carefully, six, then eight, then all twelve layers were wrapped around her by the three other females; there was an odd expression in Kimitsukiko's eyes as she worked, and she stopped compulsively as they were finally tying the obi, an elaborate knot of stiff, gem-studded golden fabric.

"Eldest...is it wise to present her in these colors? There may be difficulties already..."

Eldest smiled dismissively and waved Kimitsukiko out of the way, reached herself to pull the knot into its final shop.

"You should not worry. I do this because it reinforces the claim I make on her, because I wish it known that she is _mine_, though in truth she belongs to your son. I was under the impression that you had seen for yourself how _ready_ she is for Challenge combat."

Kimitsukiko colored faintly and stepped back, almost bowed reflexively and then stalked half-angry to the corner of the room furthest from Eldest's infuriating chuckle. The empty sleeve at her side let a cold chill into her robes; there was an ache of phantom pain when she imagined taking the older females throat in her hands and tightening -

"Do not be so swift to hate me, Kimitsukiko. We both have done what we must do, for the sake of our own. Is that not so?"

Kimitsukiko relaxed slightly – very slightly – and let out the smallest of sighs.

"Yes. Of course, Eldest."

There was a bustling in the outer rooms, and a gentle knock sounded before one of Kimitsukiko's retainers pushed open the door, gaped momentarily at Kagome in red-and-gold, and then let out in a whispered rush:

"My lady, the Council is coming! Guests have come, and more are arriving."

Kagome, Kimitsukiko and Eldest turned to the door as one; behind Kagome, little Miho ignored the commotion and began to work on Kagome's hair, twisting and pinning the long strands. Kagome listened to a whispered conversation between Eldest and Kimitsukiko, and tried to suppress the knot of nervous tension that was rapidly growing in her gut.

"_Sesshomaru has demanded he be with her for the first moments -"_

"_How ridiculous. He should know the demands of the rite for seclusion, and yet _twice_ already he has broken that tradition. And for a human girl, on the day of his mate's own Marking?"_

"_I did not wish to give my consent, but he made clear...you have seen, I do not need to explain. I said nothing, but I saw – you felt his power. Eldest, if you -"_

"_No. No, it will be well. You are correct; I did feel it. Yes...they should not associate her with the House of Fire. In my colors, but on his arm. Yes."_

Kagome let out a long sigh of relief then, and watched Kimitsukiko leave to fetch Sesshomaru with eager eyes. If _he_ was with her, she need fear nothing. She _knew_ this; he had never said it, but there was no need. Whenever he touched her, she felt it in his hands; desire, possession, and a watchful protection that she could sense even when, like now, he was not with her.

He came quickly, and there was momentarily surprise on his face which he turned to Eldest to express.

"_Your_ colors? She is _not yours_."

Danger lurked just beneath the surface of his words, but Eldest responded as if she did not hear it.

"No, she is not...but I could think of no better way to signal that I support your union, and will brook no contention."

He eyed her for a moment, dark thoughts and suspicion visible, before he nodded and turned back to Kagome.

"You are ready, Kagome?"

Miho darted between him and his mate, and bowed slightly in his direction.

"A moment, Lord -"

With swift movements, she reached up and tugged at Kagome's robes until the layers were in alignment, strategic slashes in the sleeves showing peeks of the bright colors beneath, and occasionally pale skin. In another moment, she fastened the veil across Kagome's face, and then stepped back.

"She is ready, Lord."

Sesshomaru took Kagome's hands, and let her out of the room and down into the throng of his mingling guests.

* * *

In the first flush of twilight, when only the moon and the brightest stars were showing, youkai had begun to flood in through the wide-open gates and out through the courtyards and gardens. Flares had been lit in the shadows of the trees, and lanterns were hung on the wall and on long wires that criss-crossed over the cushions and tables.

By the time real darkness had thrown its rich velvet texture over the gathering, dozens of youkai were prowling among the tables, talking in quiet voices, exchanging rumors and glancing around, waiting for the appearance of their host and his new _mate_, which could come at any moment.

Only one among them showed his disturbance openly, standing alone even in the circle of his own companions, watching each new arrival with darting movements of his eyes.

It was Kouga, and he was surrounded by the scent of Kagome, and he did not understand.

The scent of the Inu was prowling this place, disturbingly similar to Inuyasha's familiar scent - and there was more that was familiar, a presence...so faint, but annoying. He breathed deeply, trying to understand, and then saw the Inu himself, descending the stairs from the Hall to the courtyards with a female on his arm who was dressed in Dragon colors, the brilliant crimson-and-gold of the House of Fire. Her face was covered by veils, but now Kouga could see and _feel_ a shimmer dangling between her breasts that he knew well.

_Shikon no tama! Of course – but!_

He knew immediately what had happened - or thought he did.

_The dog has killed Kagome - my Kagome! She would never allow any demon to steal that jewel again..._

And then the female who stood by Sesshomaru's side, the female who was so obviously his mate, took sixteen steps forward and stopped directly in front of Kouga, looked up at him.

He was immediately frozen. It didn't matter what color they were, or that their glow, their angle and intensity were wholly youkai now. He knew them - those eyes.

_Kagome - _

But he couldn't make her name pass his lips; he couldn't say a word.

Not many knew what was happening, but from the corner of the courtyard, as far away as they could get, for the moment, Ginta and Hakkaku watched with expressions both sad and awestruck. The sadness was for Kouga, for his unrealized dream - but the awe was all for Kagome, for the demon that was visible in her movements, coupled to the undeniable truth of her scent.

Silence was spreading around Kouga and Kagome, as the tension between them built, higher and higher the longer Kouga stood in shocked silence and Kagome stood with a half-guilty expression.

"Kagome - "

Finally, the sound escaped Kouga's throat, but it was far from his usual voice. The second try was better, and he even managed a question.

"Kagome - how? How can you -"

She hesitated, unsure of how to answer him, and felt Sesshomaru come up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. The slit-shoulders of her robes shifted under his hands, and Kouga's attention was irretrievably drawn to the dark mark of mating, purple as a bruise but far more painful, as far as he was concerned.

"Wolf."

Kouga's eyes snapped upward at the sound of Sesshomaru's voice.

"You know my mate. I should have suspected – but I warn you, be careful with what you say, and how you word your stories, if you speak of her."

His voice was low, warning, and Kouga looked at Kagome sharply for a moment, startled but coming swiftly to the conclusions that Sesshomaru had intended. After all, Kagome had been human – he knew this intimately – and now she was not. He would not have hesitated to reveal anything that might bedevil Sesshomaru – but Kagome was another matter. Despite his understanding he made no response, and instead turned to Kagome.

She felt terrible things building in him as he stared at her; his eyes were terribly broken. There was no more _light_ in them.

"_How_? How did he do it? How did he take you, Kagome? My Kagome..."

And he reached out toward her with one hand, hopeless and hoping, utterly confused.

"How did he change you into _this_?"

She could only stare. Among the others watching, the whispers had become louder and more fervent than before. Even Kinawai, watching with amusement from the midst of an admiring group of females, could not help but comment.

"So, that is why the Wolf has refused the match offered to him."

He shook his head, and laughed, but it was understanding laughter. A dark-eyed demoness looked up at him in question, and then whispered a giggle at his answer:

"For her...well, it is understandable, isn't it? I might have done the same thing."

From her own dark corner, Kasuka saw all these things, and for a moment, hearing him speak, her eyes were darkest on her own mate. _She_ was not amused by his sentiments. Discard her, and take that whelp of an Inu? Even if she _was_ once Dragon. Even if she was _miko_.

Privately, however, she admitted to a certain tension; she was more than disturbed that _Eldest _had appeared here, supporting this _whelp_, this _Hime-sama_! And Eldest called her sister-daughter...for a moment, a cruel smile twisted Kasuka's lips. There was no one left alive who would call Eldest family; she had made certain of that, long, _long_ before. And the sister – the sister had vanished, disappeared while tending to humans in the Inu-hanyou's forest. Generations of men had passed since then...no, it could not be possible. The daughter had not been born, and even if she had, circumstances had made her human; she could not have survived all this time.

It was impossible; _impossible_ – after all, _no_ power could have brought her from _then_ to now. Such things just didn't happen.

It was impossible -

_Impossible._

Somehow, an uneasy feeling remained in her belly, colder and tighter the longer she looked at the Inu's mate – Kagome...Kagome was her name.

_Kagome, I must _cultivate_ you_. _Where did you come from, Kagome? Where have you been hiding?_

* * *

A/N: Phew! Technically I'm about two hours later than I wanted, but this little bit with Kasuka just decided it wanted to be in this chapter, so...yeah. But, ta-da! More! Going back to work on Chapter 34 now – in which Kouga Is An Idiot, Kagome Gets Inked, Sesshomaru Gets Molested (no, really, it's true!) and More! Did anyone expect a random Inu no Taisho appearance? I didn't! He's awfully surprising for a dead guy! And now, the unlogged it/anonymous review people!

The Person Who Was An Empty Space: Wow! An invisible person! :D I didn't know people could read me from a phone; I feel so portable! New chapter...now!

Kitsunehime99: Thanks for your review! More...now!

I-am-Wolf: Ha! Fan! My power is increasing! :P Much thanks for your excellent review; I do my best to keep everyone reasonably in character, but in cases where there is no character, I try to piece together something from as much as has been revealed. For instance, with Sesshomaru's mother we know that she had a kind-of-ass for a mate, who ditched her for a human woman and then died to protect that woman without really considering his actual mate, or his _other_ son - i.e., Sesshomaru. So she got kind of a raw deal; I expect she is probably at least half the reason Sesshomaru doesn't care much for humans! More soon, although I do have to write about Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sharon Olds, Lucille Clifton, and Tada Chimako first :P. School eats my life; when I become a mutated alien giant, I will eat _it_!

Danielle Romer: More is here, don't die! Also, sleep, because that helps prevent death! Thanks for your review; more as soon as I can!

And...PLEASE review! It will help me become a mutated alien giant!


	34. XXXIV: Matters Of Honor

XXXIV.

Matters of Honor

* * *

In the general aftermath of the confrontation between Kouga and Kagome, Sesshomaru managed to pull his mate away from the others and held her still in front of him, piercing her with bright and suspicious eyes. Knowing the _feelings_ that had already been, between his Kagome and his brother - he did not want to be thinking the thoughts he was thinking. He had been careful to keep his worry to himself, even in the beginning – before violence had painted Kagome's hands with red. He had been more careful still since _that_ _day_, wondering in private moments if it might not have been a better solution to ignore Inuyasha entirely...so that she might forget him more easily.

_This_, however, was a different situation entirely. The suspicion that Kagome's feelings held him second to his brother was something he teetered on the edge of admitting, even to himself; it did not matter as much now that Inuyasha was dead. Even a _hint _that Kouga might hold such a place, though...that was too much! How many males were there with an eye on his mate?

He felt a surge of anger, hot as lightning, and Kagome shivered uneasily beneath the weight of his gaze.

"You did not tell me that the Wolf lord was someone of your acquaintance, mate."

Kagome did her best to shrug, half-exasperated and half-amused.

"You didn't ask. And I didn't know he was important enough to mention; Kouga's got a big mouth, and even he never told me he was part of a Council, or lord of anything but Ginta and Hakkaku."

Sesshomaru's gaze remained intent despite her blitheness.

"And you do not think there is anything _else _I need to know?"

Kagome was suddenly uneasy. She had learned a great deal about youkai custom – some of it by watching, and some through her reading, and some with blundering, indelicate questions that had made both Kinawai and Sesshomaru laugh at her, more often than not. In this instance, however, she found herself at a loss.

"Kouga...Kouga was my friend, Sesshomaru, and – and that is _all_."

She tried to speak lightly, but it was difficult while he was staring at her, probing at her concealed distress.

"He...he used to call me his woman, but it was just stupid – something more for him and Inuyasha to fight over, not anything serious. He kidnapped me once, you see; when he found out I could sense shikon shards, he kept me as a prisoner, and said I would be his woman. _I_ said _no_."

She was pleased to see, finally, a break in Sesshomaru's serious expression, something like amusement.

"No matter what _he_ said, Kagome – you denied him? Always?"

Startled, a little irritated, she nodded.

"Of course! He's a good friend, and we've fought together, but anything more than that – he should know better. And so should you!"

Easily, he silenced her protests with a lasting kiss. She blinked at him in surprise, but Sesshomaru detected anger simmering behind him, the presence of the Wolf.

_How interesting. _

Perhaps Kouga would be a source for some amusement, and not an annoyance, after all...since he had no claim that Kagome would support. He did not admit even to himself how much better he felt hearing her denials.

"Sesshomaru, I -"

Again, he bent over, kissed her – but this time she allowed him only a moment and then pushed back against his chest, drew a deep breath.

"Don't do that! I needed to tell - "

"I wish to hear no more about the Wolf, Kagome."

"No – no, it was something else. Since – we are alone now..."

He sensed reluctance in her, far greater than anything Kouga had instigated, and was immediately on the alert.

"Speak."

Kagome's voice was hesitant.

"I couldn't tell you which ones – perhaps Rin could, or your mother – but some of the females that came with your mother don't...they don't _approve_ of Rin. I'm not sure about their intentions, and since I won't be with her the whole -"

"Females who do not approve of Rin?"

Kagome was surprised by the tone of his voice, the sudden shift in it, the sharpness.

"_Disapproval_ – that is violence against her."

His fingers twitched in agitation. This was exactly what he had hoped to prevent by Marking the girl – did they think he had done it as a _joke_? His response would have to be swift and lethal.

Without another word to Kagome, without even pausing to hear the details of the incident, Sesshomaru turned on his heel and strode with hard, quick steps through his guests and up to the Curtained Rooms. Dressed in new clothes, quiet and still, Rin was sitting on the floor in front of his mother. She came to him as soon as he entered and he reached down to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Rin. Which ones are they – the ones who have harmed you?"

The girl looked startled for only a moment, and then turned with a serious face, some of her earlier anger returning to her expression and along with it a tiny and spreading glee.

The guilty ones would be punished!

Sesshomaru did not need her pointing finger to tell him which females to focus his wrath on; as soon as he spoke their own scents betrayed them, fearful and angry – their movements, shying away from him, their guilty expressions. He stepped forward, and females scattered right and left. Only five remained behind, and his mother, still seated.

"Mother – they are yours?"

From her chair, Kimitsukiko shook her head.

"No. I warned them what they were bringing on themselves. I give them to you, Sesshomaru."

The barely perceptible flicker of hope that had been hiding in the eyes of the five offenders was immediately quenched. There was trembling, as Sesshomaru stalked around them; finally, he stopped short and looked back at his _daughter_.

"Rin, it is to you that the lives of these five rightly belong. It is you they have insulted."

Quizzically, she looked at him.

"Otou-sama, I cannot kill them yet; not until I am older."

Gasps broke out among the watching females at the very idea of this small, _human_ girl killing any one of them, at any time. Only Sesshomaru's presence prevented laughter.

"It is true that you are small, and as yet untrained."

He stood marginally straighter.

"_I_ will enact it, whatever you decide, but you _must_ decide: what happens to them?"

Sesshomaru's gesture at the waiting five was one of dismissal and disgust. Rin peered thoughtfully for a long minute, and then folded her arms. She was an Empress in miniature, adorable in her imperiousness.

"They must be punished, but I do not want Otou-sama to be bothered. They belong to me, Otou-sama?"

Sesshomaru nodded once.

"Then I will keep them, until I can kill them myself! Unless they very much want you to kill them, Otou-sama..."

Expectantly, she turned to face the condemned, awaiting their answer.

Sesshomaru smiled, a smile of gleaming teeth; he couldn't help himself. He was _proud_ of her, _his_ _daughter_; she had put these fools in an impossible position, one they had created for themselves. They could choose death at his hands, and he would be pleased to give it to them. Or they could choose subservience to Rin, the human they had ridiculed, in order to gain a few more years of life – and by so doing, broadcast their cringing, sniveling natures to the world.

Either way, he would be pleased, but it was obvious from the moment Rin made her decision which way they would choose. Like many others in the room, they did not seem to believe she would be able to harm them...ever.

He would make sure they were wrong, of course.

"Lord, we will –"

"We will -"

"We will -"

There was another moment while they looked amongst each other, and then only one spoke.

"We will wait for your _d-daughter_, Lord."

He surveyed them for only a moment longer, and then turned his back to them.

"You will not wait not long."

_I will make sure of it._

* * *

As quickly as he had left her, Sesshomaru returned to Kagome, who had not yet moved, not daring to mingle amongst these stranger-youkai without him there to serve as buffer and guardian. He thought it wise of her; he had done what he could to educate her quickly, but there was still too much chance that she might commit some unforgivable blunder through ignorance.

On his arm, she was relatively comfortable, though somewhat distressed by the speed with which he had _taken care _of the problem. Still, there was neither sight nor scent of blood on him, so whatever he had inflicted couldn't have been _too_ terrible.

If she only knew.

With that out of the way, however, there was nothing to distract her from her imminent Marking; soon, Eldest would come out with Kimitsukiko and the children; she didn't know exactly what would happen after that, but after having seen the blood added to Rin's Ink, the flickering, silver needle-knife in Kimitsukiko's hand, she had some idea of what to expect.

She was inevitably distracted through Sesshomaru's introductions; names flowed into her head and out again, replaced by the next set, and the next, and the next. There were Dragons who called her Hime-sama, and others who called her Kagome-dono, and a few – very few, under Sesshomaru's eyes – who said nothing, and turned their heads aside and sneered as she passed by. But Sesshomaru ignored them, for now, so she did, too. Otherwise, she was not sure what the appropriate response would be – and did she _really_ want to start trouble?

Kagome found it easiest to nod and smile behind her veil, allowing these youkai, lords and ladies, to glean what they could from the crinkles at the corners of her eyes. Finally, when Sesshomaru had run out of names, she joined him at one of the long tables and drank tiny glasses of sake that smelled like flowers. He beckoned to her, and shared with her a bowl of something he called _bloodwine_. It tasted like the scent of orchards in summer, fruit ripe and fruit in blossom, and seemed to run straight into her veins; by her third sip, the darkness beyond the lamps had gained a shimmer like oiled glass, and she sensed him laughing at her, though he did not make a sound.

"Not so fast, mate."

He lifted the bowl from her hands and sipped himself. His eyes had grown smoky with wine and the night, and he brought her with him to one of many scattered fires, sat and then pulled her down onto his cushion and settled her beside him.

Kagome peered through the flames and recognized Akira, pale Aoi, and a few other faces, but most of them were strangers to her – curious, staring strangers. She tried to suppress her nervousness, and spoke up brightly, surprising many who knew Sesshomaru's temperament and had expected his mate to echo it.

"I heard music while we were walking this way – does one of you play? Please, don't stop because of us; I was happy to listen."

Akira turned toward Sesshomaru with a questioning expression, and Sesshomaru nodded – so the other Inu turned towards the circle of youkai sitting behind him and called out.

"Histaru! Hime-sama wants to hear you play!"

Almost immediately, there came the sound of strings. Akira smiled at Kagome's pleased expression, and gestured at the young Inu who was playing.

"My son, Hime-sama. He insisted on bringing his _koto_; I was unsure it would be needed, and now I am glad I listened to him. Do you often enjoy music?"

Happy that someone was talking to her, Kagome nodded.

"When I can. I spent a great deal of time traveling the past few years, so I didn't have much opportunity, but I've always loved music."

She smiled a bit.

"I used to sing when I was small, but not for a long time, except..."

She frowned suddenly, and then shook her head a little, smiled.

"Anyway, he's very skilled – your son. Do you have other children, Akira?"

"Yes. Histaru is my only son, but my mate has given me four daughters. The eldest has pups of her own now..."

His voice trailed off, and Kagome looked at him questioningly and then turned, following his distracted gaze. A cold, hard lump settled in her belly: Eldest had come out into the night, her hands tight on a bowl that steamed in the cool night air, her features serious. Kimitsukiko stood just behind her and to one side, staring down at the assembled youkai.

Not only Akira had fallen silent; by twos and threes, as they noticed the presence of the ancient Dragon behind them, the various guests grew quiet and turned to face this unexpected female. Rumors had passed outward from the Inu who had come the night before, word passing in the night and the early morning: Eldest is come to the Inu's mate! Eldest is among us!

Very few of those who had listened had believed, and now they were forced to it; her presence, her power, could belong to no one else. When all eyes were on her and the muttering had died down, Eldest took three steps forward and halted at the edge of the stairs leading down from the Hall.

"Kinawai, attend me."

She spoke quietly, but her voice still carried. Kinawai approached her with interest, and not argument, but there was something in his face that showed he was not amused at being summoned in such a way.

"Eldest - "

"My sister-daughter, the daughter of our House; her time is come, now. The moon rises full of darkness and the Rite will be completed. Bring her to me!"

Again, there were whispers. Most of the youkai present had been introduced to Kagome, had heard from one or another of Sesshomaru's kin the story of the previous evening's _events_. A few had managed to accumulate what they thought was the whole story – Kinawai's negotiation of the match, the meeting of a few that had ended in miko fire, Kimitsukiko's failed Challenge, Eldest's arrival and approbation – and were passing it among the others. The air was fragrant with distress and disbelief held at bay only by Eldest herself, her physical presence.

Kinawai descended the stairs and made his way to the corner of the courtyard where Sesshomaru had brought Kagome; he reached out a hand for her, but Sesshomaru stood instead and pulled her up with him, his fingers cool and tight against her palms.

"Sesshomaru?"

Kinawai's voice was questioning, almost confused; surely, Sesshomaru had heard Eldest's request.

"She stays with me."

Kinawai hesitated; then his lips curved into a smile that contained a shrug. He did not back away, but stood instead on Kagome's left side. He accompanied the two Inu through the burgeoning crowd; his senses detected sharp shifts of feeling in his companions - Kagome nervous and determined, Sesshomaru placid, calm on the surface...but long familiarity told Kinawai that just beneath that surface were turbulent waters, rage and concern and a flutter of darkness.

As they walked, Kagome was distracted by the conversations they passed, some of them so dim that she could gather only a few words, others – obviously misjudging the sensitivity of certain ears – coming to her hushed but clear:

"_Didn't you hear her talking to Kinawai? Sister-daughter, she said..._"

"_Yes – I wonder where she has been hidden for all this time?_"

"_And you wondered why he would have none of your daughters, Akihito!_"

"_Quiet all of you, fools! You think _he_ cannot hear you?_"

For a moment, obviously listening to the same things Kagome was, Sesshomaru paused. He turned toward one of the youkai nearer them and allowed his mouth to form a smile that held glittering death at bay.

"You are wiser than your kin, Akihito. Silence them."

Kagome shivered, a twitch of her spine, and then continued walking with him. At any other time – in any other place – she would have reprimanded him for acting so _presumptively_ on her behalf. Now, though..._here -_ She sensed waiting violence in every eye, felt a pressure of youki on her _other_ senses that had rarely before been so obvious to her. Sesshomaru's aura was powerful, but compared to the combined force of what she felt now...

_And any one of them...any one of these females might Challenge me - _

She found herself searching the eyes of the females she passed, _feeling_ their strength press on her more fully as she attended to them.

The necessary corollary – that her power, too, was evident to those around them, that she made visible in those moments a well of miko responses – did not occur to her. So she did not understand when those same females shied away from her, turning down their eyes, turning aside their heads.

They made it to the stairs, and up them without incident. A rumble of noise accompanied four cushions that drifted in invisible hands and then were set down across the space in front of the door to the Hall. This done, the door closed with a resounding _thud_. Kagome exerted a great deal of effort _not_ to jump as the door slammed.

Sesshomaru sat in the center, with Kagome at his left and his mother at his right. Eldest ignored the chair that had been brought out for her, and instead stood tall and held out the bowl in her hands, calling all eyes to herself.

"You, the Lords of Council, have come here to bear witness that one joins your number. By the oldest Rite, a Rite older than I am by far, Sesshomaru, Lord of the House of Blades, has taken my sister-daughter to him, taken her from the home that bred and bore her, the hands that raised and trained her. Now she will be Marked by the burning Ink; in this moment, she is mine for the last time."

Eldest turned and beckoned to Kagome with one crooked finger, and Kagome stood unassisted, with no small difficulty. Light as they were, the layers of robes she was wearing weren't easy to move in, and she had very little experience with garments like these. Her footsteps were careful and slow, but she did not hesitate, sure that any sign of such would be seen as weakness.

When she was only two paces away, Eldest held out the bowl and motioned for her to take it. Careful not to spill a drop, Kagome held it cupped in the palm of her hands. Without being told, she knew what she had to do, and put the steaming Ink to her lips.

"Drink it, sister-daughter. Drink it all."

Kagome took one breath, and then drank. It had the texture of thick, smooth wine; she tasted heat and some dark essence, moist loam on the back of her tongue, the scent of silt and a biting, delicate coolness that opened her throat and rose behind her eyes. She felt it burn down her throat and into her belly, but that same coolness followed almost immediately and with it a strange sensation, as if she was floating free of her body. She swayed, didn't notice her hands dropping, the empty bowl loose in her grasp.

_Things_ were moving in her, powers set totally free for the first time. Her eyes gained a golden glow, crimson at the corners; her hair moved in a nowhere wind. Smiling a pleased smile, Eldest took the bowl from Kagome's slack fingers, and then helped her back toward her chair. Kagome's thoughts drifted for a moment, and then she felt the effects of the Ink subside, at least for a moment.

She took a deep breath, and sat slowly, and then mustered a smile for Sesshomaru. Her teeth felt sharp against her lips and she ran her tongue over them quickly, tasting the Ink again. When she was settled, Eldest turned back to the gathered, silent crowd, and held out her hands as if in benediction.

"She has tasted the black flower – she who was Kagome, daughter of the House of Fire, is now Kagome, Lady over the -"

"But someone is missing!"

The voice came from the safety of the crowd, pitched so carefully that Sesshomaru could not pick out its source – not even when it spoke a second time.

"Sesshomaru! Shouldn't your brother have come? Where is the half-breed Inuyasha?"

Whispers followed on the tail end of those words, even laughter that was quickly hushed. Sesshomaru sat very still. Once, such words would have been enough to move him to violence. Now...now, he almost smiled, remembering, but refrained for Kagome's sake.

"The dead do not attend festivities. My mate ended his life in Challenge; he has paid for the trouble he caused. I expect to hear no more of it."

The voice fell silent; muttering began again and he saw many eyes lingering on Kagome now with renewed interest.

Sesshomaru had spoken only the truth, though there had been no formal Challenge, no laying of terms. Both of them, his brother and his mate, had been out for blood. At his side, he felt Kagome shift as a long shudder ran through her body.

She was no longer in tears every night from the death she had dealt; she was no longer held in thrall by nightmares when she dared to sleep, and if he agreed to go with her to bed she would _almost_ stay as long as she needed too.

But he knew, even sleeping, when her dreams were causing her distress. At first he had been dismayed at this continuing evidence of their tightening bond. He had been more distressed still when he realized that, beneath it all, he was _pleased_ that he could know her in such an intimate way – that she was open to him in such a way.

Now, he felt her feelings shifting unexpectedly; not to grief, but to anger. There were congratulations coming from the crowd below them, and impressed and interested looks on many faces. Inuyasha had been a half-breed, only hanyou, but he had made trouble in many places on his long quest. Some of those standing before him were the sons or brothers or more distant kin still of lords who, a very few years ago, had been masters of good territories in their prime.

He filed away in his mind the thought that it was very good none of those individuals knew of Kagome's connection to the dead hanyou, or the quest that had brought about the completion of the jewel that was always suspended around her neck. Still, as he watched her out of the corner of his eye, he knew he had to end this _conversation_.

_If I let her sit here and endure this, she will break. She will do something – not good. _

"Enough. Is there a reason we are bothered by such insolence? Is that the purpose of the rite?"

"No! But I know something that is."

The voice came from an unexpected and previously silent quarter; Kagome knew it well, and became very, very pale. Though the Ink burned in her veins, urging the Inu into wakefulness, she felt cold all over. Quickly, as Kouga forced himself from the furthest corner of the gathering to the front, she began to repeat a short mantra over and over in her head.

_Don't let him do anything stupid – don't let him do anything stupid – don't let him do anything stupid – don't let him do -_

"Kagome was mine, Sesshomaru! What you have you done to her, making her a dog like you, to make her the Lady of your House? Who do you think you are, to take my chosen wo-"

"Kouga!"

Kagome spoke out desperately, hoping at all costs to prevent the word she knew he had been about to speak. If once, just _once_, he called her _woman_, all hell would break loose.

"I was never yours, Kouga; only one person besides Sesshomaru could ever have tried to make a claim on me, and you know it! That one is dead! Don't do -"

"Sesshomaru – silence your mate!"

It was Kinawai's voice. Amazed, furious, Kagome turned to look at him and pressed herself into her chair. If she had been standing, she would have taken a step back. He was wearing an expression she had never seen on him before, utterly serious, flint-eyed, mouth poised to shape dangerous words. Sesshomaru stepped forward and took her arm, drew her back and looked at her with warning, but it was unnecessary. Her heart was sinking in her chest; all the lightheaded feelings that had come with the draught of Ink were intensifying, badly. She had seen the cold determination that was now on Kouga's face many times before.

_And every single time, it would have gotten him killed, except – we saved him. Sango, and Miroku, and Inuyasha and I. Kouga, this time – this time, __**I cannot save you - **_

Sesshomaru stepped forward, his features set, and looked down at the Wolf. He was not averse to the thought of battle; he wondered if perhaps, this was the fight he had been waiting for.

It might settle his nerves.

He was amused, too, because he had worried so much about Kagome being forced to fight for him...and yet he had never considered that someone might Challenge for _her_. Kouga was someone from her past, but Kagome denied his claim; that was more than enough for him.

"I am the one who will speak for the House of Blades, yet Kagome speaks truth. She is _my_ mate. She will be no one else's. Is it that you wish to die, Wolf? There are easier ways you could have chosen."

Kouga snarled in answer. The entourage that had come with him backed away, leaving him alone to this fate he was making for himself.

"Words, that's all you want to give me, Sesshomaru? It's not enough! If you will not give me my w- my Kagome, then I will kill you and take her!"

Kinawai held out a hand to silence Sesshomaru's retort, and spoke in clear, clipped tones.

"Is it Challenge, Kouga?"

"_Yes_!"

From her chair, Kagome let out one long, broken breath. Kinawai ignored her completely; Sesshomaru turned a sharp glance in her direction. No one else heard. Kouga's _Yes_! had set in motion an irretrievable series of events. The whole gathering was moving, and Kagome knew where they were going. The Challenge ground was in that direction – nothing else.

Seeing that no one else was paying attention, that no one could hear, Kagome seized her chance and reached out for Sesshomaru's sleeve, slipped her hands into his grasp.

"Sesshomaru, I know – that he – I know Kouga's an idiot, mate, a complete moron – but he's still my friend. We've fought together; he's saved my life more than once. I don't know why he's doing this, I can't believe...but - "

Sesshomaru stood slowly and let out a long breath. Kagome waited meekly to see what he would say, and almost leapt out of her seat at his question.

"Kagome – do you want this Wolf, Kouga?"

"No! Weren't you listening? No! You are – I want – that is..."

She had silenced herself quite well. Sesshomaru smiled thinly.

"Then what do you think I can do? He initiated this Challenge; he is the one who thinks he has a chance of winning you from me. When I am through with him no one will ever think that thought again!"

His claws tightened in the air. There was a raw moment in which Kagome saw red, red overtaking – but it passed as quickly as it had come and she shook her head a little.

"Sesshomaru...I...you will do what you must. You always have. But please – remember that he is my friend."

He stared at her in silence for a long moment, then turned away.

"I make no promises."

Sesshomaru joined the long flow of youkai moving toward the Challenge ground. His mother followed behind him, and then other Inu, wrapping around his silent figure and ushering him onward. Kagome followed him with her eyes. After what seemed like forever, but was only really a very few minutes, Eldest and Kinawai came to her and each took an arm.

As she stood, Kagome felt consciousness once again flying away from her, felt the Ink turning all her focus inward, inward...inward toward the reaching Inu and the threads of power whipping loose all around her.

* * *

A/N: Yay! A Chapter, a chapter! This would've been up last night, but my laptop overheated and scared me. Thank you oh mighty and wonderful reviewers!

Last Laugh: Thanks for your awesome review! If you love me lots, you can vote for Bloodlust on Dokuga; I got nominated! Woo! Nominated! :D


	35. XXXV: Princess Of Beasts

XXXV.

Princess Of Beasts

* * *

In the few quiet moments that were given to Kouga before the Challenge began, he stood alone at the edge of the wide, flat circle of earth in which his fate would be decided, and thought back on the things that had brought him to this moment. Meeting Kagome, by chance, as it were...taking her, first for violence, and then for her power, and finally for _softer_ uses. When she had escaped him, he had sworn to himself that she would one day be his woman, and had not balked at the human taste of the word on his tongue.

_Woman. My woman, Kagome..._

Had he not told her often enough, seriously enough? Had she not believed him? He could think of no other reason why she would be here, _now_ – why he would be fighting over her.

He had no way of knowing, of course, that it had been the same way for Sesshomaru – and even, to a certain extent, for Inuyasha – that it had been for him; the violence, and the power, and the softness. The difference was that so far, Sesshomaru had been able to hold onto her, to keep her close and claim her...

Kouga seethed at the thought – and then felt suddenly sickened.

_The wind. The scent of that wind - now I know why...why I could not stand it. Kagome_...

His soul – if he had a soul – ached in his chest. A theory that he had been clinging to was dispersed by his remembrance, his recognition of that scent.

_The mating -_

There had been no force in it, no _violence_ beyond what was usual...no discontent. No fear.

For a moment, he shifted uneasily. Did she – could she possibly _want_ to belong-

_No. No. Not my Kagome and that cold Inu bastard. He has some hold over her, something...I know it! _

Stubbornly, he refused to consider the one other fact that had come into his awareness, the thing he should have found most disturbing of all: Sesshomaru's claim that Kagome had killed Inuyasha. His own _dislike_ for Inuyasha made him ask no prying questions. The problem was that he had never known Kagome at all; not really. Just her smiles, and her smiling anger; the things on which he had based his _love_, his claim.

Just as stubbornly, he did not consider that she was not smiling at him now.

Kouga heard noise, interrupting his thoughts, and turned to face an approaching contingent of Inu, the greater portion of those who claimed ties as kin to the House of Blades. In the midst of them, walking unconcerned, his features expressionless, his movements poised, was Sesshomaru. Even the sight of him was enough to fan Kouga's rage. He felt the fire inside himself sharpen, burning hotter, and met Sesshomaru's eyes.

The Inu stopped, stared impassively. Kouga sneered...and then the two of them were forced apart as Kinawai strode forward with Eldest and Kagome, then left the two females behind and made his way to the center of the Challenge ground.

For a last, long moment, Kouga stared at Kagome, and his eyes grasped so tightly at her skin he was surprised she did not feel it, did not turn toward him...but she was staring at the ground, her mouth open, her breaths heavy, distracted by the sensations of the Ink.

If he had known those sensations, the greater portion of their cause, he might have saved himself; he might have yet turned away, seeing in despair what he could not see in his arrogance, and his desire, and his pride.

Kagome belonged to Sesshomaru; Kagome _wanted _to belong to Sesshomaru. She had decided for herself, when she had thought that there was no other place left for her in this world...when she had still been half hoping for death.

But Kouga did not know, and he did not turn away...and then it was too late.

* * *

Kagome was floating in the Ink, drowning in a wide-open flood that was both the sharpness of her senses, and the dull, throbbing tide of the bond she shared with Sesshomaru. What was usually a flicker, a trickle, had become a roaring tsunami, and as it was meant to do it reduced her awareness of the world to moments of clarity so bright they were blinding...and Sesshomaru.

As she walked up the path that led to the Challenge ground, she found herself leaning more and more on Eldest and Kinawai, swaying, tilting, or maybe just thinking she was as she moved along. They were the last to arrive, and Kinawai left her with Eldest immediately, striding off to initiate the Challenge.

There were several long moments of rustling and moving about as Kinawai's presence was noticed, and then, finally, silence. In the silence, all eyes were focused on Kouga and on Sesshomaru, each one in a circle of his own kin – and then Kinawai spoke.

"Two among you seek to place your Blood before your enemy; your weapons, you have cast away. Now it is Challenge, like the most ancient days: now, the Beast will answer all your questions. Come forward, Kouga, Lord of the Golden House! Name your Challenge and its terms!"

On light feet, Kouga came into the center of the circle of flattened earth, and searched out the circle of watching youkai until he found Kagome's eyes. If he was startled by the blank depth of red he found there, the vicious edge waking in her expression, he did not show it.

"I Challenge for Kagome – Kagome, who was mine, Kagome, who was taken by Sesshomaru!"

In the same strong, piercing voice, Kinawai turned and summoned out Sesshomaru.

"How do you answer, Sesshomaru, Lord of the House of Blades? Will you fight this Challenge?"

Stillness came with Sesshomaru as he stepped forward, stillness belied by the redness of his eyes, the Inu close to the surface, just waiting to be released.

"I will fight. But there is no logic in this; this Wolf has no claim!"

Kouga's features twisted; a long growl escaped him, vibrated his whole body, and if not for Kinawai between him and the Inu he would have leapt directly for Sesshomaru's throat. Sensing this, Kinawai turned and gave Kouga a hard stare. The forms would be obeyed. The forms had brought them out of chaos, and sustained them that way in the absence of a Dragonlord to mete out justice. Without the Ritual of Challenge they were no better than dumb beasts.

"Will you withdraw, Kouga? Will you concede the -"

"No! _Never_!"

Kouga cut off Kinawai sharply, but with that denial, there was nothing more to be said. In silence, Kinawai backed away and returned to his own place among the watching youkai, spread thin in a wide ring that bordered the Challenge ground.

For a moment, Kouga and Sesshomaru stared across the small empty space where he had been, and then a dim glow consumed everything visible, became light, golden-white where Sesshomaru had been standing, brassy copper in Kouga's place.

Against the dim background of the circle that was watching, the expectant hush, there was suddenly wind, wind collapsing and exploding and rushing all at once, both roaring and silent. Onto the moonlit grass came the sparkling sound of teeth and the padding of great paws, not a sound but a vibration that thudded through the earth into the soles of all their feet.

From the black depths of the Ink, Kagome found all her breath was stolen from her. For the second time, she saw the heart of the Beast revealed, the full expression of a demon soul. Before her eyes, the Inu had become flesh...and the Wolf. If she had had thoughts, not just drugged feelings, she might have been surprised; she had never suspected such potential in Kouga, though it was an obvious thing considering the little she had known about youkai.

In these moments, however, she had no thoughts of her own; only thoughts of Sesshomaru. She had not yet been party to his consciousness in a moment of true bloodlust; she had felt only the hints of it that had been revealed to her in his play-battle with Kinawai...and much of that memory had been lost to her by the events that followed it. Now, all of that fury was unleashed, raw power in its most basic form; her body shuddered with him in the Change and she felt the first inklings of what it might be like to take on such a shape herself.

Under the pressure of the Ink and the pressure of that wild Inu let loose, Kagome was a mirror for Sesshomaru's emotion, an amplifier; she felt his feelings and then they came to her again from herself, more strongly.

In the stillness that followed the transformation, the two great Beasts roared at each other, set the trees of the courtyards at the edge of the cleared space shaking. Impatient, it was the Wolf that moved first, striking forward with clawed forepaws, grappling for the throat. It was a brave, impetuous move, but it did no good. Sesshomaru had one great advantage over Kouga, especially in _this _shape.

With a single lunge, the Inu grabbed a mouthful of flesh and bit down. _Dokkasou _in its most potent form liquefied fur, muscles, tissue; there was a scream in bestial tones, the voice of the Wolf, and one enormous paw came down across Sesshomaru's muzzle, knocking him away, bloodying his face.

For a moment, they circled each other. The long ragged tongue of the Inu probed at the shallow wounds of his cheek; Kouga snuffled at his wounded shoulder, then let out a challenging roar. Sesshomaru matched the sound, sent poison rippling outwards with the bellow of sound. Some in the crowd of watchers flinched away from drops of burning pain; Kouga shuddered under them, then darted forward, seeking the throat.

Minutes passed, tense with violence. Kouga's claws had trouble catching hold of the Inu's flesh; only once did he managed to grab hold of vital flesh with vicious fangs, and he was quickly dislodged. His own shoulder throbbed angrily; twice, Sesshomaru clawed at at the acid-burning wound, ripping it open.

The ground had been clawed and stomped into bloody sludge that oozed beneath their paws; the trees at the edge of the courtyard were all missing leaves and branches, burned away by the force of _dokkasou_. Three times he snapped forward, reaching for Kouga's throat, and three times Kouga pulled back, limping on his wounded forelimb, trying to avoid twinges of agony.

Finally, driven by pain, the Wolf was able to reach forward and inflict injury on his opponent. Blood flowed down the white expanse of Sesshomaru's chest, stained the silky fur bright burgundy, and he staggered, took a step backward. Gold fire flickered in the red eyes of the Inu, then faded as he moved forward, rushing with his shoulder low to the ground, trying to overturn Kouga, to expose the tender belly.

The Inu's cunning is different from the cunning of the Wolf; those who knew, and Kagome, who could not help it, could see what Sesshomaru was doing to Kouga; the rushes would never work to topple the Wolf, but they _were_ backing him away, turning him -

The vulnerability was sudden and profound. Sesshomaru swept inward, and his teeth closed on the joint of Kouga's forelimb, already weakened by the wound to his shoulder. A high, keening note escaped the Wolf, a note that was pure with pain. The crack of the bone snapping, the viscous smoke of _dokkasou _burning flesh, were bright against the senses of everyone watching. After the painful cry came a howl of victory – and a terrible laughter, high, abandoned. The howl – that was Sesshomaru.

But the laughter was Kagome.

Even with his leg broken, even suffering under those teeth, Kouga was in a position to do a good deal of damage to the white, soft belly of the Inu, exposed to fangs and claws by the lunge that had broken his leg. But mid-reach, the claws of the Wolf faltered even as they reached for that vulnerable spot. The sound of Kagome's laughter, her bloodthirsty agreement with his onrushing death, did more to break his will than any number of lost limbs could have.

_Kagome_...

The thought of her, coming clear and full of grief, provided a final, fatal distraction. Sensing that the moment had come, the Inu darted back, and then batted the Wolf over with enormous paws and pinned him to the ground.

_Dokkasou_ dripped from Sesshomaru's fangs, burned smoking wounds into the flesh of the Wolf – and then the Inu bent, and bit, and tore, and raised his head in a spurt of blood with Kouga's throat in his teeth.

Life-blood poured from the gaping flesh. One final breath burbled free, and then the Wolf lay still. A howl of conquest pierced the sky; it was a heart-stopping moment of pure sound, followed by nothing.

In the _nothing_, there was wind. The Inu became Sesshomaru, bloody but pleased, his expression calm but his eyes feral, focused totally on Kagome now that Kouga was dead. He had sensed, rather than heard, her laughter; he had been aware of her _presence_ with him in his fight, an echo that followed all his emotions, all his desires.

As if from a distance, the memory of her _request_ came to him, her wish that the Wolf be spared. Where had that wish gone?

Looking at her, seeing the drug-effect of the Ink, her loose and wandering movements, her unfocused eyes, he understood, and brought himself out of bloodlust with a heavy effort of will.

For a moment, as Inu came rushing up to congratulate him, shouting and howling their pleasure at his victory, he stood in their midst but apart from them, contemplating.

_Kagome...when she is free of the Ink, she will regret this. She has just begun to heal from Inuyasha..._

Suddenly, the Inu around him stepped back, quieting, retreating from his presence. A scowl had taken over his face, dark and intense. His hand was tight on the hilt of his sword – he drew it. Youkai scattered in all directions, wondering what had invoked his rage.

Blue light gathered around his blade.

But a single sweep of Tenseiga, almost a careless motion, was enough to force the breath back into Kouga's body, and every watching eye blinked in surprise and disbelief as the vicious wounds of claw and fang began to seal themselves, faster than the eye could follow at first, and then more slowly.

After a moment there was wind, and then light - and then Kouga, laying before them in his old, familiar shape and looking not much worse for the wear.

Sesshomaru didn't care in the slightest whether the Wolf got up and pranced merrily home, or fell over dead again - he was watching Kagome, thinking to himself how pleased she would be to find that he not killed the Wolf after all – at least, not _permanently_.

None of the Council, none of his kin, dared to question why he had undone the work of the Challenge. After a minute or so, there was a scuffle towards the back of the assembly of Wolves, and finally a female carrying a pair of tiny cubs, closely followed by a very young Wolf carrying another, came forward and knelt by Kouga's side. The eyes of this female expressed both sorrow and anger, but her voice was carefully modulated to carry neither emotion.

"Kouga-sama, please..."

Carefully, in obvious pain but just as obviously unwilling to show it, Kouga stood, testing the leg that had been broken and which now was...not. Death was a flickering memory of darkness for him, pain that ended in a halo of black fire. His blood felt cold in his veins, his heartbeat heavy, and he ignored, for the moment, the female and cubs standing beside him, instead looked across the bloodied ground. His eyes found Kagome standing in Eldest's grasp, the older female's hands the only thing keeping her standing. She was deep in her own world, unaware of him at all.

In his thoughts, he felt a dream drifting away from him, a dream he had cherished almost from the moment he had found her, a dream that had been focused around the smiling eyes of _his woman_. He recognized, finally, that she was not his - not woman. She never had been.

When he spoke, finally, it was very quietly; so quietly that only Sesshomaru heard.

"She is yours, Inu. I will remember. But _you_ remember _this_: I love her. She deserves to be loved. If you aren't capable of that – if you want her power, only, and have no concern for her heart...if she _ever_ needs me, not you, not kami, not even _death_ will keep me from her."

Kouga turned and limped away; this time, Sesshomaru kept his scowl to himself. There it was again – that word, that feeling – _love_. Angrily, he turned away from the Wolf's retreating back, and looked across at Kinawai. Catching his glance, the Tiger Lord made his way to the center of the Challenge ground and called out the final Order of Challenge.

"Enough! Is there another among you who would Challenge? Another among you who would claim this female?"

Silence filtered outward from where he was saying. Sesshomaru almost, _almost_ smiled...but instead called for a new robe and walked to stand beside Kagome. Eldest allowed him to examine her, the liquescent snarl that moved her mouth, the darkening of her eyes beyond red and into the black.

"She is ready, Eldest. It is time. Do it now!"

Smiling at his impatience, Eldest nodded slowly and then looked around her.

"Very well. Miho! Sayuri!"

Within moments, two of the Dragon females that had accompanied her were by her side.

"It is time for the Marking; help me with my sister-daughter. She is lost in the Ink, now; we must help her find her way."

"Yes, Lady -"

"Of course, Eldest."

* * *

For expediency's sake, they returned to the Curtained Rooms in the East Wing, where many things had already been prepared and the remainder of the Ink was waiting. The needle-knife that had Marked Rin was clean and shining, waiting beside the bowl of simmering ink, and it took Eldest only a moment to cut the pad of Kagome's thumb against her claws.

With an infusion of Kagome's blood, the Ink turned a pure and shining violet, almost white in its brightness. Eldest smiled a smile of real pleasure - strong, her sister-daughter! - and turned an amused eye on the pair of females she had brought with her, who were standing back from the Ink with suspicious and fearful faces.

"You do not need to worry; not yet. Come; hold her."

Slowly, the two females approached. Miho sat by Kagome's head, hands on her shoulder. Sayuri knelt by Kagome's thighs, ready to restrain her if necessary.

Eldest wasted no time, but with precise, quick movements lifted the ink onto the needle-knife and began to cut Sesshomaru's crescent Mark into her skin. With the iron strength of her other hand, Eldest ensured that Kagome did not move her head.

The process of the Marking was not difficult, only repetitive. Three times, Eldest Inked in the crescent, filling in the shape, ensuring that it would not vanish from Kagome's skin. Each time, as the Ink gained greater influence over her, Kagome relaxed further and further into a deep and open-eyed dream. She heard nothing of the voices speaking quietly over her, did not feel the prick of the needle-knife at her forehead or the pressure of firm hands holding her body still.

The Ink, brought directly into her bloodstream, had a powerful, but short lasting effect. For the half hour after Eldest made her last stroke of the knife, Kagome felt herself sinking into light, light that welled up from everywhere and nowhere, light so brilliant it eliminated all shadows. She tasted silt again, the memory of her soul, silence and water, salt and green growth...a dawning of flesh. She grew tall, felt the fire of her heartbeats like pounding drums, felt the glory of scattering unmarked dust, feet, for the first time, running...

And then she took a big, gasping breath of air, and opened her eyes to the waking world, hazy in detail, sharp in outline.

Her eyes searched the faces gathered around her, but none of them were the one she wanted.

Finally and fully, the Inu had filled her flesh.

Eldest saw it, saw too the rising, gathering power, the power that would bind her forever to Sesshomaru...if he could overcome it. Quickly, every moment precise, she pulled Kagome onto her feet and then moved with her outside, to where Sesshomaru was waiting. Females fell into place behind her, running to keep up.

On the stairs outside the Hall, Eldest stopped and stared down at the Council, and this time it was not her presence but Kagome's that drew their attention, distracted them. She had begun to burn with danger.

_It is time_.

"Dragons, Dragons of the House of Fire – she is gone from us, our daughter, gone from us!"

From Eldest's throat came a wail of pure sound, almost a roar. In answer, shaking the trees, shaking the earth, came an equal wail from every Dragon who had come – even those who had come desiring nothing more than the fall of the Inu.

Even Kasuka, who answered that wave of sound instinctively, and then shut her mouth quickly, hands at her throat, furious.

Kagome existed unaware. From that blood that stained her forehead where the Mark had been cut rose light – power. Wisps of miko energy, tendrils of youkai power; her soul, fully awakened by the drug in the Ink, was fighting at the boundaries of her body, leaching outward from her pores.

Those who stood in the way of those violet wisps of miko light suffered. Kagome continued to walk forward, dripping light like water, dripping like light some secret, invisible rain had soaked her to the skin. Only Sesshomaru stood unaffected - and Eldest, behind her.

Eldest felt her power not at all.

Sesshomaru felt the brush of that miko light as the scent of flowers and a tingling, exuberant warmth.

Carefully, he extended power to meet her, slowly, an uncoiling lure. She came to him unerringly, aura flaring, power erupting...

The watching crowd below them drew back. Eldest stepped down to join them, leaving Kagome and Sesshomaru alone at the top of the stairs in a growing, glowing aura of brilliance.

"It would be best if you were to leave now; all of you. You do not know the danger you are in."

She spoke quietly, but those who were unable to hear her listened second-hand to the message passed through the gathering. A few scoffed; she was not _that _impressive, could not be _that_ powerful -

Yozei, the Kitsune, was already running. He had been burned once; he had no desire to let it happen again.

Slowly, so very slowly, the glow of Kagome's power began to push outward, pulsing in time with her heartbeat, Sesshomaru's heartbeat, expanding into a sphere of radiance that grew brighter – greater – brighter -

Kouga's blood, where it had stained the grass as he was leaving, began to smoke. Under the pressure of the holy aura, a few of the most vicious among the watching youkai began to feel...uncomfortable.

In a few more moments, there was a general flood of youkai through the gates and, to begin with, Eldest went with them, guiding them without words. They followed her presence, trusting that she would know safety...and surprised as she drew them further and further away, out across the wide meadow that bordered the Wall, up and into the edge of the forest.

"You will be safe, here. Venture no closer for now...you will know when it is safe to return."

Just as swiftly as she had brought them, Eldest turned and left. There was a small danger, even for her, in the eruption of power that was soon to follow. But this... even if it blinded her she wanted to witness _this_. It had been generations beyond count since a youkai had been miko...since such a one had found a mate.

Before she was halfway across the meadow, she was forced to go slowly, hand over her eyes, building a barrier out of her own strength to combat the incredible pressure.

The power had not stopped growing.

It was a luminous dome now, that encompassing the fortress...then the grounds...and then further still, began to lap out across the grass, approaching her-

And then a wall, a wall of lustrous air, washed over her and immersed in tingling sensations, brought her to her knees. There was the scent that she knew for the Odor of Sanctity; she heard music without sound, _tasted_ endless shine...and just when she began to fear that she had not sent Sesshomaru's _guests _far enough away, the power condensed, and contracted into a dense and writhing ball.

It flickered, Dragon-shadowy, and then took on the form of a great Inu, brilliant, howling - violet and golden light woven into a shape of unbelievable power.

_She is more than I suspected; more than I dared hope. _

In another moment, Eldest's surprise and pleasure turned to shock.

It was Sesshomaru's turn.

Alone among the youkai who had fled, he had remained, unafraid, unaffected. He _knew_ this power, had felt the premonition in this moment when he had first taken her, when light had dripped from her skin like blood, _in _her blood. When she had, in the moment of his first temptation, utterly failed to burn him.

Golden power grew over him, around him. It was dark, thick, dense; it _shimmered_ in the air, made the air alive. Almost as swiftly as it manifested, it began to coalesce, to draw together. With a suddenness that left no time even for awe, a second Inu appeared in all the most vivid hues of gold – amber, saffron, unmixed honey -

That figure, greater, more terrible than the first, darted forward and_ reached out_ for that first, waiting Inu.

There was a sound like a thunderclap.

White radiance sped outward – and then pulled in, as if time had reversed itself.

When Eldest could see again, she saw the two of them, suspended in the midst of that power; Sesshomaru, holding her, supporting her; Kagome with her head thrown back, her eyes wide open, her mouth soundlessly, soundlessly screaming -

And then the radiance evaporated – extinguished - vanished.

The light of a thousand suns became darkness; night.

* * *

Over the half hour following that great eruption and vanishment of light, Kagome woke from groggy memories of great confrontations between beasts of shadow and light...and found Sesshomaru standing over her, smiling down at her – _smiling down at her_! - his hand extended to help her up from the cushions where she was laying. Her robes were sticking to her, as if she had just run a marathon and been sweating like a pig the whole time, but she looked down and discovered with some horror that her skin was coated with a thin film of _blood_, crimson and sticky.

The courtyard was relatively deserted, and she swallowed in a dry throat, accepted a bowl of wine gratefully, and took a deep draught.

"Ah – better. Sesshomaru, are we...alone now?"

He looked at her seriously, tilted her head up into the light, examined her eyes, her face...her Mark. The black color had faded into red, and now there was only the slightest hint of the rich youkai color in the corners of her eyes, quickly receding. She looked pale beneath the sheen of bloody sweat that the Ink had called forth, but he urged another sip of the bloodwine on her and watched it coax the color back into her skin. The crescent mark of his House was blue, fading to violet at its points.

_Mine...mine forever now_.

But there was her question -

"We are not alone, Kagome...it is just that your power frightened off all our guests. They have been returning – slowly. There is still the Giving of Gifts to close the Rite."

She sensed his amusement, laughter in her thoughts far stronger than she had experienced it before. He, in turn, felt the swing of her emotions, from curious to bewildered, from bewilderment to fear.

"Kagome. We are closer now, for always...but not _this_ close. It will fade as the Ink leaves you; do not be afraid."

And he radiated such calm and possessive warmth that she was overwhelmed, and had to turn away to hide her face from him.

He had, however, been speaking the truth; gradually, in three's and five's and larger clumps, their _guests_ were returning.

She would have been content to sit for a while, watching the festivities begin again, but she almost immediately dragged off to be bathed and re-dressed – which, thinking about it, she did not really mind. She just felt..._icky_.

There was no ritual to it this time, just rinsing herself clean, and then new robes, in Sesshomaru's colors this time; white, layer upon layer of white gauze trimmed in gold with long red sleeves. She wore a patterned yellow obi heavy with embroidery in gold and jewel-toned threads; her hair was unbound and let to lie in long, smooth-combed tresses down her back.

She was ushered outside then by Sesshomaru's invisible servants; a great cry and howling went up from the Inu, waiting for her, and she discerned words among the calls -

"She's o_ur_ Hime-sama now!"

"Mated _and_ Marked – we know your truth now, Lady -"

There was dancing, and she saw the son of Akira – Histaru, that was his name – playing his koto and smiling; there were females with drums, but she knew none of them.

Kinawai was wrapped _very_ closely around some pale-haired female who was definitely _not_ Kasuka, sitting at the edge of the firelight's circle. Kagome's feet were tapping, as she made her way to her mate; she _greatly_ desired to join that dance, swirling sleeves and pounding feet and the occasional howl born of pure exuberance.

There were no steps that she could see but the rhythm was well defined and anything that fit with that seemed to fit with the other dancers – she saw Inu leaping, Tigers spinning, spinning and falling and still dancing even then, Dragons who moved with some ineffable grace, almost in slow motion - even a grinning Tanuki who played his flute as he moved. She stopped, swayed happily for a moment, and then turned with glee in her eyes and tugged on Sesshomaru's sleeve.

He was pliable for a moment, until he realized where she was pulling him, and then he stood completely still and nothing she did could move him. Except...

"If you will not dance, then I will find someone who will come with me. Perhaps Kinawai -"

His eyes followed hers to where his friend was sitting, and Sesshomaru stiffened imperceptibly. If Kagome thought she could get away with such unsubtle attempts at manipulation, she was sorely mistaken.

"Mate, you will not dance with Kinawai. You will go alone into that circle, and alone in it you will stay. Or the one who touches you will be very unhappy soon enough, because I guarantee _he_ will find no miko to replace what _I_ remove from him."

"Sesshomaru!"

She was half mortified and half pleased – but was there a reason why he was always so difficult? _Always_? And didn't he ever have any fun? She asked him this, buoyed by the wine she had drank and the elation of having come through this Rite so well.

Suddenly Sesshomaru was the one who looked mortified.

"_Fun_? You are serious, Kagome? This word...if I know the fullness of its meaning, almost everything I call _fun_ is something bloody you disapprove of. _Almost _everything."

And his expression was replaced by one with which she was much more familiar. Irritated, she smacked away his reaching hands and put her nose in the air.

"Fine - spoilsport. Then I _will _dance by myself. I _like_ to dance."

Scowling, still amused by her petty defiance and her attempts at coercion, Sesshomaru stood aside and allowed her to pass him by and join that rushing, stampeding circle...and then could not take his eyes from her. Something – the Ink, the wine, her demon nature, perhaps the combination of all three, conspired to make her movements smooth, entrancing; she moved like many a dancing human lady had moved for generations, but those steps, those movements were unknown to him and others of those watching. Her hands were empty but her fingers moved like fans; her sleeves waved and painted patterns through the smoke.

As she danced, that smoke seemed to be strings that pulled her movement, guided her; it was the sensuous flow of all the dances she had ever learned, dances of future, dances of past – all of them crawling through her veins at once. There was an electric tingle in her skin now, no longer a burning - unless it was a fever that had possessed her, body and soul.

She did, indeed, dance alone...until Sesshomaru could not bear to watch any longer the grace and wildness of her movements, and came close to her, and matched her -

The two of them drew every eye.

* * *

While many were distracted by the scene in the firelight, the illumination of Sesshomaru's obvious desire for his mate, her return of that desire – a few stalked Kasuka into a corner, and sought to voice concerns that bordered on..._disobedience_.

"Dragon! This mate of Sesshomaru – she wears the colors of the House of Fire, and _Eldest_ is with her – and a miko! _Inu_ miko - a _human_, you said - "

Kasuka glanced sharply around her, ensuring that no on else had heard, and then made a sharp gesture, drawing close to the one who had spoken.

"Silence yourself! You know as well as I the position _Eldest_ takes on our ascendancy, on reclaiming the place which is rightfully our own! Not that many weeks ago I showed you power, and more than power – or do you forget?"

She spoke in a sharp whisper, directed for their ears alone, and she was pleased to see that her reminder had the desired effect. They would serve her out of fear, if not totally from ambition; how far her kin had fallen!

"This female...I have my suspicions about the Inu's new mate; I have my suspicions about Eldest, and I wonder if perhaps she has betrayed us by action, now, and not only by _in_action. Is there one among _your _daughters who would mate the Inu without death in mind?"

She spoke only thoughtfully, testing the waters, and was pleased by the reaction of mixed anger and trepidation that her words aroused.

"If only Eldest had Challenged when her mate fell – perhaps then we would not be in such dire straits."

She heard whispers of agreement, saw many nodding heads, and smiled.

"But this is not the place for such conversations, not the place for your doubts! When the time comes, I will summon you. You know this. Soon; we will act soon, after all the long years of waiting. It would have been easier to kill that female if she was, indeed, only woman...but it will not be difficult, all the same. Is she not my kin?"

The deliberate cruelty of her smile was met equally from all those around her.

"For now, mingle among the others. Learn their desires, their ambitions, their allegiances – but leave the Inu and his mate to me! That Inu miko...I have plans for her; her and her power."

"Lady, what of me and my kin?"

Kasuka turned sharply; she recognized the one who had spoken, and smiled thoughtfully.

"Tatsuya, son of Ryuukotsusei, I know your complaint; the vengeance you seek was stolen from you by the mate of the Inu."

"Yes! The hanyou is dead; my father will never now be avenged!"

There were murmurs of agreement from others of his clan, and Kasuka waved away their words with one hand.

"The hanyou was not worth your time; it is Sesshomaru who is the threat, Sesshomaru who has caused the most trouble. If you still seek vengeance, then I will find you a way to strike a blow against the Inu himself."

Tatsuya exchanged glances with those of his kin gathered nearby, and then nodded sharply.

"So be it. Is there...anything you have in mind, Lady?"

Slowly, Kasuka smiled.

"There is now among the kin of the Inu one who is _most vulnerable_...most vulnerable indeed. Listen – I will tell you the secret ways that my ancestors built with their own hands – the ways that lead past the Wall, and how to use them..."

They clustered close around her, eyes glinting, as she revealed her plan.

* * *

A/N: Woo, another chapter! This would've been done sooner, but I got really distracted by editing prompts, and writing new stuff for Alpha, and then editing more prompts for Seiko Ugoku...sheesh. I should know better :P At any rate, here it is! Coming Soon: The Giving of Gifts and A Warning That Freaks Sesshomaru Out. Heh. Anyone who REALLY loves this story can, until midnight of Saturday may 21st - i.e., tomorrow - go to Dokuga and vote for Bloodlust as Best Drama, Best Portrayal Of Kagome, or Best Portrayal of Sesshomaru. [nomination made me squee] :P

Please Review!


	36. XXXVI: Keepers Of The Past

XXXVI.

Keepers Of The Past

* * *

Before the moon had set, darkness in darkness, the full count of youkai returned on hesitant feet. There was agitation in their movements, uncertainty; a ceaseless murmur of voices that built and receded like waves, never quite breaking the barrier that would let words carry.

Sesshomaru and Kagome knelt on cushions, and Kagome found herself glad to be off her feet; the Giving of Gifts was the last part of the rite, but it was very late now, closer to dawn than she wanted to think about...and there were so very many youkai!

They waited in a long line, ordered by family and by affiliation. First among them was Akira, his son and daughters beside him, and Kagome watched him come forward with a long box that smelled strongly of cedar. Inside were glittering bolts of cloth; it looked like spun silver, moonlight made into fabric.

"Sesshomaru-dono; Hime-sama. With good wishes for your mating, I gift you starsilk, woven by my daughters."

He bowed and stepped back, leaving the box behind. Behind them came another cluster of Inu; they carried forward a heavy chest, opened it carefully. Kagome almost gasped and barely restrained herself; it was full of glittering jewels, multi-faceted, many-colored.

"Sesshomaru-dono, Hime-sama – for the glory of your House."

There was another set of bows...and another group of Inu, a trio this time, two females and a male whose face was vaguely familiar. They carried a silk wrapped bundle that opened to show a gleaming sword, unsheathed, the blade brilliant gold and intricately carved in Dragon characters.

"An heirloom of the West Forest, Sesshomaru-dono. The one who holds this sword can be harmed neither by miko light nor priestly power."

Sesshomaru eyed this gift with amusement.

"An interesting choice, Katsu."

Youkai followed youkai, quickly and without pause. Kagome lost track of names and faces, couldn't tell which gifts had come from which hands, after a while – and there was so much, so many things beautiful and powerful both. Ornaments of gold and silver, rare furs from the most sought after of beasts; weapons and armor, both mundane and magical. She saw _wealth_, wealth beyond count; gems, jewelry, coins...bolts and bolts of silk, not Suzhou or Kyoto but cloth made by demon hands; starsilk, spidersilk, mist-woven damask.

There were robes, robes in many colors, embroidered with such intricacy and detail that they seemed alive – and others that _were_ alive, with patterns that shifted and moved as she watched...

There were some among those giving gifts, however, who evoked a far more personal reaction.

Ginta and Hakkaku came forward slowly, unsure what Kagome's reaction would be to them. They had been astonished and terrified to see her during the Challenge, and had no way of knowing that it had been the Inu moving her, and the Ink, and Sesshomaru, and not her own feelings.

Looking at them reminded her of the battle, and she saw flashes of it in her thoughts, the great Beast-shapes moving, the rich smells of blood and mud and power. It brought a question into her mind that she knew she could not ask now, but -

_Kouga...are you gone, Kouga? You are not here now – are you dead? Kouga, you idiot, you **moron** -_

"Ka-Kagome-nee-san...and – and

"Kagome-nee-san and Sesshomaru-dono! Kouga-sama...intended to give you – this."

The pair of Wolves had brought forward an enormous leather case, jeweled and embroidered in patterns so intricate only youkai hands could have managed it. Easily, they lifted the lid, and showed dozens of wine skins, each one held in place in its own slot in the case.

"These are the finest Southern wines. And – they _are _yours, but -"

Ginta turned to Kagome.

"Because it is _you_, Kagome-nee-san – there is another _gift._"

And they held out a bloodstained strip of fur and leather that she recognized, and drew themselves up tall.

"This headband belonged to Kouga-sama, who wore it in his Challenge against your mate. Kouga-sama asked us to give this to you...so you would remember always that he does l-love you. By his blood that stains his gift, he swears his allegiance to you_..._Hime-sama."

Kagome looked momentarily pained at the title, and then saw how both Ginta and Hakkaku were grinning and couldn't help grinning herself, in amusement and in relief. Kouga had asked them to do this – so Kouga must be alive! The smile she shot Sesshomaru was quick and perfect and full of warmth.

"Kagome-nee-san, Kouga-sama and all his tribe will be here for you, if you need us. As you have always been there for _us_."

Sesshomaru's eyes were flashing at the familiarity of their address, at this second _gift_ they were offering...at the fact that the others waiting in line were now whispering among each other – but it could not be undone, anyway, and Kagome had smiled at him...

Ginta and Hakkaku bowed and backed away, and the procession of gift givers continued -

Panniers of rich spices, the scents overwhelming; bloodwine, liquor, the promise of fine tapestries...treasures from strange lands, taken in battle, conquered through power – a staff of pale wood that radiated youki; the bones of a Korean demon who had once insulted Sesshomaru's father; the seed of a tree said to bloom once every ten thousand years...

Finally, there were only four left waiting; Kinawai with Kasuka beside him, Sesshomaru's own mother, and Eldest. The courtyard had grown quiet around them as the guests departed, and with a look at the other two, standing in conversation, Kinawai and Kasuka were first to step forward.

"Sesshomaru, my friend. You went mad for this one – don't look at me like that, it's true. Mad for her, and she's worth it. I speak only the truth. For your gift, I have brought something special."

He gave to Sesshomaru a relatively small box, perhaps two feet square. It was extraordinarily heavy for its size, carved from one whole piece of black, undecorated wood. The grain of the wood had grown smooth from years of handling.

"Open it."

Sesshomaru complied, his gaze questioning – and then blinked, astonished. The box was full of...metal. Ingots of steel? Carefully, he lifted one out. The metal shifted, warmed under his hands, began to move...to flow. Surprised, Sesshomaru flicked a sharp look in Kinawai's direction.

"What is this, Kinawai? What metal?"

"A very special metal, Sesshomaru. It has been an heirloom of my house for generations. Now, it is yours. It moves with thought and power; it responds to those who have the strength to inhibit its will. It is _Living Steel_, Sesshomaru. It would make a fine weapon...or perhaps an interesting armor. They say when it is worked properly, it can be made into a fabric stronger than adamant...and light as air."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened involuntarily, and he glanced at Kagome for a moment, having a sudden thought...and then was alarmed, seeing her apparently deep in conversation with Kasuka. His expression warned Kinawai into silence, and Sesshomaru turned his attention to Kasuka's voice, and Kagome's.

"_You seem so reticent, Kagome-sama – or do you prefer Hime-sama?"_

He heard Kagome laughing.

"_Even just Kagome is fine. I didn't intend to seem rude; it's just that Sesshomaru...he doesn't...um..."_

"_Your mate despises me, Kagome. Don't look so shocked; he has certainly made his feelings clear enough. He has never liked me, though his reasons are unknown to me. He keeps his secrets close, Sesshomaru does. Or so Kinawai tells me."_

Kagome smiled guilelessly, shrugged.

"_I guess that's true. But I'll make up my own mind; I want my own reasons to like you or not. After all, you are Kinawai's mate; technically you are my kin, yes? I can't say that about many people -"_

"_Oh, we are family, Kagome, make no doubt about that – and more than technically. I was born to the House of Fire, to its oldest line of power. And Eldest calls you sister-daughter...so you could say we are...cousins, hmm?"_

And she smiled. Sesshomaru shuddered, unable to restrain his disgust. He did not like thinking that his Kagome shared _anything_ with Kasuka – not blood, not ancestry, not _anything_. A scowl darkened on his face.

"_I have brought you a gift, Kagome, as Kinawai has brought one for your mate. Take these; they have protected the true daughters of the House of Fire for many generations."_

Sesshomaru took a step forward, intending to stop Kagome from doing anything so foolish as wearing _protection_ offered by Kasuka – but said protection was only a pair of bracelets, curves of shimmering, scarlet glass, Dragon-shaped, twining; they were quite beautiful, and power was evident in them...but Sesshomaru sensed nothing malevolent, and held back from interfering.

Kagome had asked him to allow her leeway with this...interaction. She had made her intentions clear, and he was interested to see if she could succeed with such a subtle deception. If Kinawai could find out nothing about his mate's intentions, such intelligence as Kagome might discover could be invaluable.

"_They are beautiful, Kasuka-sama -"_

"_Please, Kagome; you must also call me by name."_

"_Then – I thank you, Kasuka. Please, help me to wear them?"_

"_Here – you'll find they wear themselves quite well..."_

There was amusement in Kasuka's voice that Sesshomaru found irritating, and then he had to restrain himself from running forward. The bracelets struck forward like uncoiling snakes, darted around Kagome's wrists, and tightened. The Dragon-heads poised, hissing, fangs raised, over Kagome's skin – then settled against it almost tenderly, and became still and silent.

Even Kasuka was looking at the jewelry with surprise, but her features quickly settled into a mild expression. Sesshomaru strode forward and stood behind Kagome, one hand at her shoulder,

"Well...so you are, indeed, a true daughter of Dragons. Ah...I see that look. Your mate does not share well, Kagome. You must come visit with me sometime; after all, as the last two females of our line, we should...get to know each other."

Having maneuvered the entirety of this conversation to the point she desired, Kasuka waited almost breathlessly. This Kagome was nothing like she expected; there was naiveté and knowingness both in her – an unusual combination. She _seemed_ honest...almost innocent. Wary, perhaps, but that was not surprising with Sesshomaru for a mate. The Inu would have filled her ears with dark words about her Dragon kin...and Kasuka herself, certainly. And then there was Eldest...

"Yes. I would like that. It will take time for me to settle in here, but I would be pleased to visit with you, and with your mate."

Kagome smiled, her features tight with unease. Sesshomaru's presence behind her was tense and poised. She sensed violence in him, just beneath the surface; as if it was only with the greatest effort of will that he restrained himself from taking Kasuka's life. Kagome resolved that as soon as this mess of Presentation was out of the way, she would _make_ him explain his problems with Kasuka.

But with Sesshomaru behind her, the testing conversation dissolved, and Kasuka bowed herself away to Kinawai's side. Her smile grew steadily more vicious as she walked away; running over that little _talk_, Kasuka was sure she could make some use of this _Kagome_. And with the other plans she had set in motion...well.

The full moon was in two weeks time; that was not that long to wait.

* * *

When Kinawai and Kasuka had left, Kimitsukiko came forward, and looked Kagome over with an appraising glance. She ignored her son entirely, and instead of any elaborate gift or explanation, lifted a heavy pendant from around her neck. Sesshomaru's eyes widened for a moment; _that_ amulet?

Easily, his mother dropped the pendant over Kagome's head and let it _thump_ against her chest.

"Mate of my son, I give you _power. _Power to protect; power that may mean life, over death. Before he died my mate gave this to me, and bid me keep it for the day of my son's need...and then, once that time had come, to pass it on to his mate. This I have done."

She stared at Kagome for a long, silent minute, and then moved as if to turn away.

"Please – wait! Your arm -"

Kimitsukiko turned back, and paused, and then nodded once.

"Very well."

There was a splash of crimson, and then a bubbling of pink power...and then she was whole again.

Eldest watched, not commenting, just curious.

When Kimitsukiko had gone, she finally stepped forward, last of them all to leave, giving into Kagome's hands a leather-wrapped package whose contents she could not discern.

"Sister-daughter, you have had some training, you said. Tell me, the miko who taught you...did you learn any blood magic from her, or the ways of sensing and manipulating auras? Did you..."

But she trailed off, because Kagome was shaking her head.

"No...no, Kaede never taught me anything like that – she taught me how to heal with herbs, but never any blood magic, and not much about a miko's special power. She said that _my_ power was tangled inside me – but she didn't know why, or how. She said that I was lucky I was able to shoot a miko's arrow, and that I should be content with that."

Eldest smiled.

"Your power was bound up in suppressing the youkai within you. It is miko power that restrains the demon influence in such cases. Regardless, human miko in general do poorly with blood magic; their blood does not possess the same inherent energy. You have noticed this, yes? I expect things have changed for your power since you took on your true flesh."

Kagome brightened considerably.

"Yes! I can – I healed Sesshomaru, with my blood - just like his mother. And.."

Eldest nodded.

"Yes, I have heard about that. Many have been wondering how Sesshomaru could have recovered so quickly from such a wound. There were rumors...and I expect Kimitsukiko will appear soon, also healed, and then the question in their minds will be only whether it was you or me who is responsible."

Kagome grinned.

"Good, they should have at least _one_ question they can't answer. I was so nervous – and then they were all just...annoying! I understand now why Sesshomaru never wants to spend time with any of them – and some of them, just _drooling_ over Rin! You know, when I'm from, there_ aren't _any demons, and I don't understand, eating children...disgusting!"

Eldest only shrugged. She had lived far too long for such paltry offenses to have any effect. Someone somewhere was _always_ eating children. Then she paused for a moment, caught on an idiosyncrasy in Kagome's speech. "_You know, __**when**__ I'm from_ -" but she shook her head, sure she had misheard.

"There's no accounting for the tastes of others, Still – you can see, I'm sure, why I have no desire for regular contact with that ridiculous body which calls itself a Council."

Kagome couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that.

"Calls itself a Council? What do you mean?"

"I have seen humans organize themselves into groups, in times of peace and in times of crisis, and get important things done. They work best with a leader, this is true, but especially when there is trouble humans are remarkably adaptable, and someone with the right skill to fit the need of the moment will usually appear to show his fellows the right direction. Youkai, however..."

She fixed Kagome with a stern glance.

"Youkai do not work well together. Without a strong enough leader, someone with the power to hold the violent desires of the others in check, _nothing_ gets done at all, whether there is trouble or not."

Eldest smiled a strange little smile.

"Tell me, Kagome...have you wondered why, if youkai are immortal, ageless, there is one among us who is Eldest? Is it not strange to find that even I have not yet lived ten thousand years? Yes – I see that expression on your face, and I understand. To you, ten thousand years is time beyond counting; but consider: youkai have walked on these shores for _thousands_ of thousands of years. Since the surface of the world cooled and forever put out the flames that bounded every shore, we have stalked here, in one form or another; spirits of the roaring newborn world, shadows of the fledgling life that arose here, now stalking beasts enfleshed to guard the withering remnants of the ancient days. Why – _why_ is it that none have survived to tell us of those days; the days that are called the Days of Darkness...and the days Before?"

Kagome was silent. While she had been reading, the question _had_ occurred to her, and she had come to her own answer; she thought it was the right one, because it was so obvious, and listening to Eldest talk she was even more sure of it. But now, with this intense female speaking at her with such passion, bringing it up here, of all places, of all times...

"I think - youkai do not live forever because they cannot stop fighting each other. And humans. And once it was kami – and the servants of kami. I read that."

Kagome grinned again, briefly, and then became serious again and shook her head.

"But you mean something more about it than what I was thinking."

"Yes."

"Something serious."

"Yes. There was a time when the fighting was a necessary and a natural thing. The strong preyed upon the weak, and the carnivore fed upon his chosen prey, and blood flowed and the moon reflected on rivers of red. Then, if there had not been fighting, the world would have been overrun with youkai in the span of a thousand years. But the times have changed, Kagome. You are new to the complexities of our world, but you know something of the House of your mate, yes?"

Kagome nodded.

"Then you should know that he is the last direct-line descendant of the ruling family of his House; in the same manner, Kinawai is the last male heir of _my_ line, and he comes to that through his mother, and not his father – because there is no other male who can claim such direct descent."

Eldest wore a musing, distant look for a moment.

"Through my son and several generations to his mother, Kinawai bears _my_ blood. But I digress; the point is, the great youkai Lines are dying out, fading away into lesser descendants of lesser power. Catastrophe has stalked our world for more than five hundred years, since the humans decided to face their fears, since the spiritual advisors among them all turned to darkness..."

Kagome looked at her for a moment with unmasked horror.

"All of them? _All _of them turned to darkness?"

"Can you name a single human, priest or miko, who would not destroy a demon on sight? For that is darkness, Kagome."

Eyes flashing, Kagome stoutly defended her former species.

"I can name _two_. Miroku, a houshi – and Kaede, the miko who trained me. Both of them know better than to judge on sight alone; they _were_ my friends, and they _are _my friends, even now! Miroku traveled with me, while I was restoring the shikon no tama – while Inuyasha was with us, and Shippou too!"

Eldest raised her eyebrows at that. Humans were notoriously wary of Kitsune, more than many other more powerful youkai. They blamed _everything_ on Foxes...though of course, they couldn't help but be occasionally correct. She bowed her head, partially out of respect and partially to hide a smile she couldn't suppress.

"I stand corrected, Kagome. You have the experience, of course; I should not be surprised."

Kagome nodded shortly, and then looked uncomfortable.

"Sorry, I – didn't mean to...um..."

"Do not be concerned; it is pleasant to find someone who will tell me when I am wrong. It does not happen often, sister-daughter."

Kagome smiled faintly.

"But if I may continue – the problem is that _many_, if not all, of those with the power to destroy demons now think it is their duty – their _calling_- to seek out youkai and destroy them. Those who were meant to be protectors of innocence are now murderers instead; and we – all youkai – have suffered for it. With holy powers to protect them, humans do not fear to form armies and come against us in number."

The words echoed something Sesshomaru had said to her; she was not like that, he had said. But she had killed many youkai..._many _youkai...

"I can see your worry on your face, Kagome dear."

The words, the tone of them – Kagome's eyes shot up to Eldest's face, startled. For a moment, she had been sharply reminded of her mother, and that was...very odd.

"You killed many demons on your quest, that is what you are thinking, yes?"

Slowly, overcoming that _moment_, Kagome nodded.

"But you killed only those who attacked you. Did you seek out the innocent young in their burrows, females pregnant and defenseless, tribes of youkai who had never bothered any human, who would run rather than fight -"

Kagome was shaking her head in horror, shaking all over in horror.

"No! No, never -"

"Then you understand. _That_ is what is happening. That is what will destroy us. And while this happens...while power grows among men and is directed at us in violence, while armies form and muster and are sent against the ancient Lords of the great forests and their kin -"

Eldest's features crumpled in disgust.

"While this happens, we fight amongst ourselves. Some plot for dominance, ready for war. Others argue about _right_ and _power_ - and the few who see, as I do, the darkness massing on the horizon, threatening to overwhelm us...ah...we are so few, our voices are lost in the crowd."

And she smiled a tight smile leached of joy.

"Even your mate, sister-daughter. Even your_ Sesshomaru_."

Her eyes flickered to where he was standing, cold and silent and still, and then back to Kagome's face.

"All this time he has only been one, but now you are two together. Make use of that; be strong in it. Now, my time with you is up...but first – Miho!"

Swiftly, the little Dragon appeared; even Sesshomaru looked surprised by this.

"Miho is part of my mate-gift for you; she has agreed to be yours, Kagome, if you will have her."

"M-mine? I -"

"You do not take her will, sister-daughter, only her allegiance, her bond. You must have females of your own."

Kagome sensed Sesshomaru simmering beside her, the pulse of his will. He _badly_ wanted her to refuse this gift.

_But...I wonder why? And how can I...but then, she did say "if I will have her"._

"Oyume-sama, I am not accustomed to this place yet, to my new...status, to my new life. I can't...I can't _own_ someone that way – or if I was to have someone's allegiance, it would have to come from _them_ – because I've earned it from them."

_Like...Kouga. Poor, dear Kouga. _

"I – I'm so very sorry, but I must refuse your gift."

Kagome bowed swiftly. There was an odd little smile on Miho's face, and she took one step backwards. Eldest, too, smiled. She accepted Kagome's bow, and then pulled her into a tight embrace, hugged her with back-breaking strength.

"I thought Sesshomaru would be the one to complain and not you, sister-daughter – but I will abide by your wishes. And...Sesshomaru -"

His eyes bored into her stare, and she found herself on the edge of looking away, laughed internally, and found herself _doubly_ satisfied to see the effect of her next statement.

"The last snow of winter will be followed by _Heat_. You know what that means. Prepare yourself, young Inu! A mate is one thing...but you have _no _idea what is going to happen to you."

While he stood, shocked, paling at an alarming rate, she left - at first walking, passing swiftly through the gate...and then _blurring_, out of sight and into nothing.

Kagome only shrugged, not understanding and with enough things to occupy her thoughts, and finally untied the package that Eldest had handed to her. Inside she found a strange collection of artifacts, none of which she recognized: an iron chain, an unlit lamp...and a knife of stone and crystal, a knife with an edge so fine it came to a point beyond even youkai sight.

_I wonder what these are?_

"Kagome!"

Sesshomaru's voice startled her, and she looked up at him swiftly.

"What... do you know what these things are, Sesshomaru?"

His fingers touched the objects one by one.

"The lamp...has powers rare and most untested. I have heard that it can illuminate the furthest corners of your vision, or the furthest corners of your heart...or it can do nothing. In many hands, it has refused to light at all – no matter the power, no matter the need."

"And the chain? The knife?"

"The chain I know nothing of, nothing definite. It is mentioned in the Record - a binding of some kind; perhaps a weapon. The knife I have seen the like of once before; a weapon of cursed crystal, many times blooded. It is a justice-seeker, that knife. Others have...other purposes."

"Why...why would she give these things to me?"  
Kagome's question came out far more tremulous than she liked.

"They are heirlooms of her family..._your _family. Perhaps she felt it was time to pass them on, now that she has...found you."

_Or perhaps it is dark times coming; dark times, and you will need all the weapons you can muster at your fingertips._

But he said nothing of his suspicion.

While Kagome readied herself for bed, Sesshomaru wandered through the many rooms of his fortress; a cursory inspection, after the presence of so many strangers. Last, he came to the Hall of Weapons, where he was at first enraged, and then confused...and then _very_ pleased.

On a stand at one end of the Hall, he had kept Toukijin; broken now, a useless blade...but still full of evil energies and a souvenir of his...more foolish days. A reminder.

It was _gone_. His anger had been at the thought of theft; his confusion had come from his discovery of a pile of smoking ash.

The pleasure – that was from realizing, suddenly and completely, the only possible source for a power that had been great enough to reduce such youki to ash.

_Kagome. The consummation of the Rite – **her** power._

And perhaps _that_ was why Eldest had given into her hands the most ancient relics of her bloodline, artifacts that had come down to her from the Days of Darkness. He wondered, though, why it was that only _three_ of the four heirlooms of the House of Fire had been gifted to Kagome. She possessed lamp, chain, and knife; but where was the mirror?

_The Mirror of Names_...

* * *

A/N: Woo! Sorry that took SO long...but I got badly distracted by Alpha! Bad me, bad me! :P Ahh...but it feels good to get this one out! The presentation is over, Sesshomaru is getting a brain, Kouga _got_ a brain, and Kagome...well, she already had one. :snicker: Coming Soon: An Invitation, Some Bad Guys, and the Definition of Love!

Please Review!


	37. XXXVII: Questions and Allies

XXXVII.

Questions and Allies

* * *

Kagome's performance at her Presentation earned them something Sesshomaru quite liked – a terrifying reputation, and _solitude_.

In the months since Kagome had come to him, they had been left alone only for a very little time – and much of that had been disturbed by what he had come to refer to in his mind as the _Incident_. Now, as fall began to dim and frost crept through the nights, he set himself to learning his mate.

She was complicated, and simple. The release of her inner demon had not changed the core of her, but it had sharpened many qualities she had already possessed – a blazing temper, an indomitable will...a pure and shining heart. It was this last quality, the quandary it presented, that he found himself most fascinated by, most...drawn to.

For a demon, he was relatively young; less than five hundred years. Still, he had had his share of females, many who sought him out for lust and many more who sought him out seeking to be closer to his power. Kagome, though...Kagome was not like _any_ of them. Kagome defied description, and he was sure it was her heart that was the difference; her strange concern with that feeling, her preoccupation with _love_.

His father had spoken to him of love, though not like she did; his father had spoken of love as having someone to protect. He had contemplated this before, but such thoughts only led inevitably to thinking of Rin. While there was no doubt in him that his feeling for his daughter was love, that gave him no help where Kagome was concerned.

His feelingsfor his mate might also be _called_ love...but if that was true it was love of an entirely different nature, love with which he had no experience. There was lust mixed up in his feelings, and those instincts which were attached to a mate: to protect her; to soothe her; to please her and to be pleased by her. There was the memory of feelings that had been attached to her – worry_, _concern, the fear for her life – that first and most terrible time, and then more recently, when she had faltered under his mother's hands.

He felt anger, too – but mostly it was at himself, even though Kagome was partly the cause. Anger because he had been trapped by a female, because he was very close to admitting the thing he had always and most vehemently denied...because there was a real and true danger, to himself and his House, in succumbing to feelings.

To _love_.

His father had proved that; already, such feelings had led Sesshomaru himself onto dangerous ground. The stirring Dragon threat that he had been sensing would become a wild thing soon; sooner, because he, their last enemy, had taken the strongest of their own.

He allowed himself a satisfied smile.

There was that, too, of course. Power attracted him. He had sought – _always_ - to become the most powerful, to walk the path of conquest, to prove his own strength. He knew, though he would never admit it, that it was partly because of his father; because the Inu no Taisho was legend, and he was, as yet, only _Sesshomaru-dono_.

It was also partly because he was youkai, and to be youkai was to be attracted to power like iron to a lodestone. It was his nature to seek the strongest female to bear his pups, to add to the glory of his house; it was the demand of the Inu and of his soul. He had been witness, in his very first sight of her, to a great strength – and even human, she had been utterly fearless...e_ven human_, he had been unable to deny her. If she had stayed that way – if her flesh had not answered to the call of his power, if he had been utterly, totally wrong...

_I would still have done it. I would **still** have taken her, and damn them all. But – why? Why!_

This thing inside him, it was morethan that she was his match in power; more than desire - more than just protecting her. He could not think of anything else that it might be... but he wanted to know, _know_, that it was love. He would say _nothing_ to her, if he did not _know_. He wanted to hold love in his hands, feel it like a solid thing, inspect it from all sides. He wanted to be able to tear it open and claw out the beating heart of it, wanted to learn from the pulse of it in his fingers what it was...what it meant.

He was not sure if Kagome could tell him; he was not sure if she would say anything he could understand. But there _was _someone...

Inspired, he turned and strode from the Hall, up the stairs and down towards the sound of studious voices. Without knocking, he opened the door to Shippou's room, and found the young Kitsune bent over a workbook, one hand correcting Rin's grip on her brush and the other pointing to the next exercise on the page.

"Are you finished with _Naniwa_, Rin?"

"Almost – otou-sama!"

"Rin. Come here."

Sesshomaru stood at the threshold and beckoned her, and she came willingly, stood looking up at him.

"Yes, otou-sama?"

"You love me, Rin."

Pleased at his statement, Rin smiled brilliantly and nodded.

"Yes, otou-sama!"

"Explain your _love_ to me, Rin. What is love? Why do you love me?"

Perplexed, Rin turned her head slightly, caught Shippou's eye over her shoulder. He shrugged. Rin looked again at Sesshomaru, and appeared to think for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was serious.

"I love otou-sama because otou-sama saved me from the wolves, and made me live. And because otou-sama protected me, and is the strongest. And because otou-sama makes Rin – makes me happy."

She flushed at her slip, but Sesshomaru said nothing, waited for her to continue.

"Love is being happy with someone, otou-sama. Really happy! And safe. And wanting to make them happy, too - like when I am quiet, or listening to otou-sama very well, or bringing to otou-sama flowers."

Sesshomaru nodded, and then slanted his eyes in Shippou's direction.

"And you, kit? Do you agree with this?"

Shippou stared for a moment, surprised to be asked, and then shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess that sounds right. But – um...Sesshomaru-sama, you are – you have been thinking about 'kaa-san, right?"

Sesshomaru hesitated for the barest instant.

"Yes."

"Then just imagine what would you feel like if she was lost, Sesshomaru-sama. Or she ran away, or – or if - she..._died_."

Shippou's words trailed off. Sesshomaru did not need to _imagine_. The memory was there within him, lying in wait. If she might die – if he lost her forever -

A black wall of terror waited within him; he sensed anguish, undiluted.

Shippou looked up at him, observing in silence, and then nodded slowly. His eyes were too old for his face.

"See? You _do_ love her, Sesshomaru-sama. Love is what Rin said...but that hurting is love, too. Are you – are you going to tell 'kaa-san?"

Sesshomaru stared at the two of them for a long moment.

"Perhaps. First, I am going to _ask_ her. She has avoided my question long enough; I want to know what she thinks."

* * *

Sesshomaru found Kagome without trouble. She was sitting in the Hall, a plate in front of her and a book beneath her left hand; her right hand was wrapped around a pair of chopsticks, guiding a slice of venison to her mouth. Her focus was such that she didn't notice him until he laughed when she tried to turn a page and take a bite simultaneously, and entirely missed the bite.

"Spying on me, Sesshomaru? So mean, you are -"

Easily, he unwound her fingers from around the chopsticks, and placed the errant morsel of meat onto her tongue before he lay them aside.

"Kagome, I have been thinking – since that Wolf Challenged over you, and before."

She had been smiling, but her expression changed dramatically as he spoke.

"Kagome, you must tell me. What is _love_?"

She was completely silent, then stuttered nothing, and then was silent again. He was beginning to think he had broken her by the time she finally said something coherent.

"That's – a hard question, Sesshomaru."

"_Why_?"

She looked for a moment like she wanted to laugh...and then she did.

"Sesshomaru, love is just...it _is_. It is an experience...something you can't know until you've felt it yourself. But it's _more_ than a feeling, even though sometimes you can feel it very strongly. It...it slips into every part of your life, everything you do, until there's this _question_ in every action: how will it affect the ones I love? And you have to answer it, you have to – that question – even if most of the time, you won't even know you're doing it. That's..._that's_ love."

Sesshomaru looked uncomfortable.

"That is...not the same thing I have heard before."

More laughter.

"Of course not! How could someone else feel love like I do? Anyway, it doesn't matter how much love _I_ feel, you need to experience it for yourself; then you'll understand. It'll probably happen at the worst time, too..."

But his eyes had focused on her, intense.

"How much love you feel? Who do you love, Kagome?"

She drew a deep breath, eyes wide, face flushing.

"Who do – I – well, I love Shippou, of course, and my parents, my brother – my – my grandfather -"

He leaned closer to her, and she continued quickly.

"And Sango, and Miroku, and Kaede – and the friends I left behind, too – I – I love lots of people!"

She spoke defensively, but he came closer to her still, peered into her eyes.

"And me, Kagome?"

Completely flustered, she backed away, waving her hands at him.

"You aren't – you aren't asking if I love you, you're asking if I'm _in love_ with you!"

He stared down at her, gold eyes gleaming in a shaft of sunlight, and smiled, deadly, achingly perfect.

"_In_ love...yes. That is what is different. Are you in love with me, Kagome?"

Her blush, which had been pink, faded to paleness.

"In – in – in -"

She couldn't even repeat his question.

"You – you're – I - I...I don't know!"

He growled at her. Under other circumstances it might have been funny, but she sensed his seriousness and was distraught herself.

"Don't be angry, please don't be angry – it's just that you're _confusing_, Sesshomaru! I've been learning you, a little, in all the days since I came to be with you – months now, really. But there's so much violence in you, so much darkness...and – um...it's...very _attractive_..."

She paused, flushing, glad he could not read her thoughts, and then cleared her throat to continue.

"But lust is different from love. You...you don't...you never regret anything. And I'm still not sure why _you_ want _me_. I stayed with you because I wanted what you could give me, because you're...well..."

A redder blush suffused her cheeks again.

"I guess because that _instinct_ moved me too. And I'm grateful, because you've done so much for me; I owe you my life – you gave me my new self, and you have shared your House with me, your clan...and your forever."

She paused for a moment, and looked up at him thoughtfully.

"I _like_ you, mate – the person you are, that I am learning; the one who smiles. But _love _is..._love _is...well, it just happens. And I'm not sure if it has yet; it's...it's hard for me to sort out. I just...don't know."

She smiled at him, tentatively, and saw him standing back from her again, his arms crossed, flickering things in his eyes – confusion, irritation...disappointment? But it was the irritation that won, and she almost, _almost _laughed at his words.

"How can you not know, mate, if you've _experienced_ it before?"

Kagome shrugged, as calmly as she could.

"Because love is different every time."

He stood very still, and Kagome saw that her words, her explanation, had not comforted him; had, perhaps, had an opposite effect. She reached out and took his hand, then tilted her head so that her hair covered half her face and she only had to look at him out of one eye. It made the words coming out of her mouth a _little _easier to say.

"Sesshomaru, I...I don't _not_ love you."

It took everything she had not to look away from him as she spoke, but it was worth it. For a solitary moment, real happiness moved openly on those so-placid features.

She leaned up on her tiptoes, and attempted to kiss him, gently, softly, but she should have known that it would not work. His arms tightened around her, and held her still so he could kiss her breathless; he put the words he would not yet say into that kiss.

"Mate...my Kagome...you are the most dangerous creature in the world."

"Hmm?"

Confused, she looked up at him, but he only shook his head and kissed her again, more gently.

"When you understand that, Kagome – then you will _truly_ be youkai. But never mind. I will not ask you any more questions about love; I will wait. I, too, have been learning."

For some reason his last words made her flush, and she found herself unable to hold his gaze.

* * *

From that moment, Kagome found herself spending a great deal more of her time with Sesshomaru. Some of it was merely the training she had been promised – learning the duties of a lady, the names of his allies and their strengths and weaknesses. She read more history, studied legends and the story of Sesshomaru's own House, and practiced youkai magic and fighting – with sword and fist and claw and fang.

Yet...there was more than just _learning_ involved.

Sesshomaru had begun to make a habit of bathing with her. He seemed to enjoy smoothing the cleansing oils onto her skin; he washed her hair, her back, her feet – and that was an image that came back to haunt her dreams most pleasantly, Sesshomaru on his knees in the shallow end of their pool, the steam rising around him, his claws dragging over her instep –

After the first few days, she tried to reciprocate, and was astonished by how pleased he seemed...and more so, when, as she was washing _his_ hair, he seemed to doze under her hands. His features were softened only slightly by sleep, but all the tenseness was gone, his mouth faintly smiling. It was the most relaxed she had ever seen him; she had waited a long moment before she touched his arm gently and spoke his name.

On nights when they did not run together, chasing shadows, hunting by the light of the waxing moon, on nights when they did not sit by firelight with music and scrolls and wine - on nights when she _slept_, he came with her to bed – always.

His desire for her, which she had been afraid would wane, did no such thing; if anything, he only seemed to want her more. He spent time that once he had spent walking his lands alone with her instead, touching, teasing, talking. Gradually, she began to see the _person_ who lived within the icy palace of his heart.

And truly, there was no ice in him. Oh, he was cold - but in her thoughts it was a cold like that of the great northern ocean; too turbulent for freezing, a black and steady surface of deceptive calm that was sometimes windswept and sometimes disrupted by great movements from beneath.

In the quiet time that had been granted them, Kagome also found herself coming to terms with her own nature more and more, making progress towards a day when she would find human ways as strange as the youkai had once been.

Ten days after the presentation, Sesshomaru approached her after their hunting lesson, while she stripped and changed into her "inside clothes".

"I have waited, Kagome, but you have said nothing. Do you intend to accept the Wolf's offer of allegiance?"

Kagome blinked at him; he sighed before she could even speak.

"Accept? But didn't I do that already when -"

Sesshomaru waved her words away.

"I always forget how little you know. No – you have not accepted his offer. You could say that you took it...under advisement. To _accept_ it, you will have to go to him – and as he has _offered_ this to you alone, perhaps it would be best for you to _go_ alone."

Kagome looked at him strangely; her voice faltered.

"By myself? But if – I'm alone-"

Her nose wrinkled.

"I have bad luck when I'm by myself – think about it, Sesshomaru, the last time I wandered by myself I was found by _you_."

He raised an eyebrow.

"That was _bad luck_, Kagome? _I_ do not think so."

She flushed.

"But you forget; you are youkai now, mate. The journey from this place to that Wolf's Den _might_ take a night and half the day, and if you truly desire to be there faster..."

He paused, and shrugged.

"Besides that, who is there that might harm you? You are youkai, and miko. You are a destroyer – and while you may not know your own power, others do, and they will avoid you."

When she still looked doubtful, he shrugged.

"I can accompany you if you wish it, Kagome, but I think -"

"That Kouga will be a complete ass if you do. Yes, yes, you're probably right...I've just never wandered around like that alone before. Not on _purpose_, anyway, not because I wanted to. And when it happened by accident I almost died twice a day."

She let out a heavy sigh.

"All right. I've wanted to see Kouga anyway; there has to be some way for me to salvage our friendship..."

It was Sesshomaru's turn to be doubtful, but he could not deny that the Wolf as Kagome's ally was far better than the Wolf as _his_ enemy. Wolves from all tribes had been flocking to Kouga lately, sensing positions of power and ungoverned territory to be had. Kouga took the strongest; he needed them. Most of his own kin had died. Alliance with Kouga might mean alliance with other Wolf tribes...and with the Kitsune and the Tanuki who were tributary to them.

"I will have bags packed for you, and you may leave this evening. Perhaps the servant you prefer should accompany you?"

Kagome smiled a little.

"Yes. And Shippou, I think. If he can spare time from his _student_."

She had been much pleased by Shippou's attempt to teach Rin reading and writing, though she had taken a hand herself; Sesshomaru was, for his _own_ reasons, well aware of this.

"The Wolf will not mind?"

Kagome shrugged.

"Kouga's never been bothered about him before. Besides, it'll do Shippou some good to get out for a while. I sometimes think he feels...left out. Or maybe it's just me feeling like I'm not giving him enough attention..."

She shrugged.

"Either way. Unless there's some custom or tradition that says I shouldn't -"

Sesshomaru shook his head.

"No. Nothing. If you are sure of the Wolf..."

He let his words trail off, and then turned to look at her with a sly expression.

"But if you are leaving for tonight and tomorrow, mate, I intend to make good use of the hours I have left with you..."

* * *

In the end, it was after dark by the time Sesshomaru allowed Kagome to leave. He dressed her in white and red and yellow, and waited for unseen hands to bind up her hair in an enameled clasp of gold, a leaping Inu shape with ruby eyes.

Sesshomaru only bothered to put on his hakama, and then saw her to the gates. A rustle joined them there, and Shippou, who was carrying a small bag. He grinned in response to Kagome's questioning look.

"Snacks, 'kaa-san! We're going now?"

"Yes, Shippou. Sesshomaru -"

She turned to him, and he reached for her arm and pulled her close, embraced her tightly.

"Come back safe to me – and _soon_."

She smiled and squeezed him for a moment, pressed a kiss to his chest and then turned through the gate. Shippou hopped up into her arms, and grinned at her, obviously pleased to be going on this little journey.

Kagome took quick steps, not quite running yet. When she was halfway through the meadow that faced the wall, she turned back one last time and saw Sesshomaru still standing in the open gate, the twilight gleaming on his skin, his hair whipped back and forth in the wind. She smiled, and raised one hand hesitantly, and waved -

And then turned again and darted down towards the trees.

The wood was dark, but not quiet; her ears gleaned the sounds of movement beneath the leaves, game scattering from her presence, predators stalking; some on the ground, and some in the trees, and some in the sky. She found a loping pace that gained ground quickly, and still allowed her to view the world passing around her as she ran by; Shippou, too, watched with interested eyes, moving from her arms to her shoulder, where he perched happily and pointed out strange sights of the forest night.

Sesshomaru had instructed her to travel straight east, and then a little south...and had remarked sneeringly that she would be able to find her way after that by scent. She had been amused, but after only two hours, she found that he was right. So subtly that she wasn't sure when she first became aware of it, she found herself adjusting her course, following a thread of scent that she knew belonged to Wolves, if not Kouga specifically.

An hour before dawn, Kagome came to a cliff-face and waterfall that was familiar, and knew she was getting close...and suddenly lost all her nerve.

"Shippou, what do you say we stop now and rest? We can go see Kouga in the morning."

As she had hoped, he nodded eagerly and leapt down to the ground, putting aside his little bag carefully.

"Okay! Can we have a fire, 'kaa-san?"

Almost before he had finished speaking, there was movement in the brush. Both of them watched as several bundles of wood and tinder stacked themselves into an appropriate campfire and sparked itself into life. It took perhaps two minutes; Shippou cheered and trotted over immediately to sit by the flames.

"That was fast; thank you!"

For perhaps half an hour, Kagome and Shippou sat by the fire, playing Shiritori and roasting small bits of "snacks" in the fire – and then Shippou peered up at Kagome with an expression that promised interesting things, and asked her a question.

"'Kaa-san, do you love Sesshomaru?"

"_What_?"

He was surprised when she scowled at him.

"Did _he_ put you up to this?"

Shippou waved away her suspicions with both hands, shaking his head.

"No! No way; I just wondered, that's all. Sorry, 'kaa-san -"

But she was already smiling again, and ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry about it. I was just surprised; Sesshomaru asked me that earlier, and he wasn't very pleased with my answer."

She was surprised to see Shippou look suddenly crestfallen.

"You said no? Oh..."

Kagome looked down at him with an odd expression on her face

"I didn't say no, Shippou; I told him..."

She sighed.

"I told him that I don't know.'

Shippou's forehead wrinkled in consternation, and he crossed his arms across his chest.

"But 'kaa-san, you -"

Eyebrows lifted, Kagome crossed her arms in imitation of his stance.

"You're _sure_ Sesshomaru didn't put you up to this? Because if he did..."

And she reached over and seized Shippou around the middle, and began to tickle him unmercifully. He shrieked with laughter, and squirmed ineffectively, pleading denial between bouts of mirth. When she finally let him go, he lay and giggled for a while before curling up in a little ball near her knee – all his questions, apparently, forgotten –

A mercy for which she was undeniably grateful.

* * *

In the morning, she made her way around the waterfall and a few miles south. She was not surprised, when she entered the small clearing that faced Kouga's den, to find a familiar trio waiting for her. Ginta and Hakkaku were pleased as always to see her, and their greeting proved it.

"Kagome-nee-san -"

"Kagome-nee-san!"

But Kouga's voice stopped them in their tracks, sharp as a whip.

"Ginta! Hakkaku! You will be respectful of the Hime-sama's position!"

And then he turned and looked at Kagome.

"So, you've come without your _mate_. Nice of you."

The tone of his voice made her wince.

"Kouga, please – don't reprimand them because of me -"

"It is an internal matter of policy among wolves. You have no reason to question it, _Hime-sama_."

He was so stiff with her! She fought back welling tears, and reached into her sleeve, pulled out the headband that had been offered to her.

"Kouga, you - _this_-"

Her fingers gripped tightly to the strip of fur and leather that she had taken for forgiveness; for proof of his friend ship.

"_That_ is a matter of Council, only. A debt that is due. I know he brought me back because of you, and unless someone would like to Challenge me, my place in Council remains guaranteed by blood. It seems, _Hime-sama_, that because I dared to fight your _mate_, not many will dare to fight _me_. I am well able to make certain that my people do not act against you."

Kagome smiled, faintly.

"Well, that's...good, but Kouga, I -"

"Hime-sama, if you will excuse me."

He bowed shortly and turned, began to walk away from her. Kagome looked across at Ginta and Hakkaku, but they shrugged helplessly. She had never, ever seen Kouga like this, had never thought him capable of acting any other way than arrogant and...sort of charming? After all, he had quite literally swept her off her feet on more than one occasion.

But this new Kouga - what could she do with him?

_I didn't lose Sango and Miroku - I'm not going to lose him either. I **need** my friends; I have...so few -_

And then she knew what she could do.

"I will _not_ excuse you."

Her words came out firmly, but soft enough not to draw undue attention. She was aware of many more eyes that she had expected, peering out at them from the mouth of the Den.

Kouga spun quickly, and her will faltered for a moment. There was a real snarl on his face.

"You - _you_ -"

He tried to focus on the Inu in her; it made it easier to try and deny her, but easier was still not...possible. Slowly, while she watched, he seemed to deflate. His shoulders fell; his eyes lost their darkness. His snarl became half of a smile, and then sadness.

"You've learned fast, Kagome."

She knew it was not what he had been going to say; she didn't really mind the change. At least he had used her name -

"Kouga, what's happened to us? I want my _friend_, Kouga - the one who fought with me, the one I half-purified to save - the one who was willing to do anything at all if it meant vengeance for slain comrades. I thought...I thought you knew that I was...Inuyasha's. When I – when I became Sesshomaru's..."

Her voice seemed to pale, and then grow strong again.

"I never thought...it would be so serious to you. Your feeling - I didn't understand it. I'm – I'm so sorry."

Kouga laughed, and there was bitterness in the sound, but not as much as she expected.

"Months ago, I thought of going after you and telling you exactly what it was that you had got wrong; exactly what it was that I thought of you, and of that - _mutt_ – "

She could hear his teeth grinding together, and then he shrugged.

"But I never expected to find you like _this_, Kagome - not like this."

It was his turn to smile faintly.

"You were my woman, but now that you are Inu you _must_ be his."

He looked at her seriously.

"Tell me, Kagome - do you love him?"

"What? I barely - I haven't even – what _is_ it with that question!"

She had flushed brilliantly; he laughed a little and there was pain in the laughter, and something else, too, something knowing.

"So, you do, but you don't even know it, do you?"

Her mouth opened a little, but he turned away before she could speak.

_Hurry up, Kagome. Sesshomaru is not patient, not like I am...but then, I was so patient that I let you get away._

And he smiled a smile of terrible pain that he knew he could never let her see.

"Every word I sent to you with Ginta and Hakkaku, I meant. I will fight for you, with all those whose allegiance I command; I will _die_ for you."

He looked back at her over his shoulder.

"But now that that's out of the way – are you staying the night, Kagome?"

His voice was strained, but it had returned as much to its old tones of friendly arrogance as could reasonably be expected. Kagome hesitated, but then shook her head slowly. It wouldn't do to stay here, when Sesshomaru wanted her to come home soon...when she wanted to _be _home soon.

"I – I can't, Kouga. I _want_ to; but I can't."

He grimaced, and then grinned.

"Figured. But don't let him keep you on a leash, Kagome, or I'll have to start calling _you_ Inu-baka."

Before she could think better of it, Kagome's features softened into a smile, and she took three quick steps forward and hugged him tightly.

"Kouga. I'm glad – I'm glad you're my friend, Kouga. And I'm so happy you don't hate me -"

He pushed her away just far enough that he could tilt up her chin and look down into her eyes.

"I could _never_ hate you, Kagome. Never you."

And before she could move, he bent and pressed his lips against her mouth...stole one sweet and senseless kiss. Then he stepped back, and smiled at her dazed and startled look. With gentle hands, he turned her, and gave her a little push back towards the forest.

"Go on, Kagome. Before that mate of yours comes looking for you."

* * *

A/N: Yay, the redemption of Kouga! And also he is naughty; I couldn't help myself. He deserves _one _kiss, poor Wolfie. And yay, a chapter! Now I don't need to feel bad about writing more Alpha :P Anyone interested, Alpha is a Drabble collection of Sess/Kag goodness I have posted on Dokuga :D

Please Review!


	38. XXXVIII: Echoes of a Fallen Gem

XXXVIII.

Echoes Of A Fallen Gem

* * *

As Kagome disappeared into the forest, Kouga turned and ignored the many whispers of his people, walked straight into his Den and vanished behind the curtain of his own chamber. He was too caught up in his own thoughts to notice the single pair of eyes that watched darkly from the doorway, their expression not one of surprise or confusion but jealous anger.

Those eyes belonged to Tokiko, who had born Kouga three pups in the season just past. Until she had learned of Kagome, she had held herself in good position to be his mate – in a few years, perhaps, if she was given the opportunity to have more pups, or if her sons prove their strength early.

But now!

_That Inu upstart – no one knows where she came from, who she is...or how she got her claws into Kouga! Except those two – and they won't talk. They're as infatuated as __**he**__ is!_

_He lost his Challenge for her, and he's still pining after her like a lost puppy...still letting her pull him around on a string -_

_Allegiance! _

_When I'm his mate, Inu bitch, you can be sure that things will be quite different -_

Tokiko stepped back into the den, one step at a time, masking a furious expression, and then turned to follow Kouga inside.

It was never too early to work on her increase in position...or so _she_ thought.

Kouga had a _very_ different idea. He gave her a talking to that wiped all thoughts of ascendancy from her brain, _permanently_.

"You will _never_ be my mate, Tokiko. I expect that I will never _take_ a mate. One of my sons will be named my heir; perhaps it will be one of my sons by you. But even if that becomes true...you will never have power. You are not strong enough to rule. And if you try, _before_ I am dead - if you mention this again – I'll kill you."

He fixed her with a cold, very not-Kouga stare.

"I took you to my bed; I took you in your heat, and I'm glad of the pups you gave me. But any more of this _bullshit_, and I will no longer be glad of _you_."

Tokiko was suddenly reminded of the reason why he was Lord, and shivered.

He had _dared_ Challenge Sesshomaru...

Kouga saw her thoughts on her face and laughed out loud, remembering what he had said to Kagome. The laughter had a bitter taste. His weakness, his failure – how could they think of it as a strength? It had lost him his woman.

_Oh my Kagome... _

And suddenly angry again, he dismissed Tokiko from the room with a furious gesture. She fled, grateful to have escaped his wrath.

_Kagome._

He would mourn her forever. He would _die_ for her, but even then – even then, he would not forget.

He _knew_ that now.

He had visited with the darkness and returned.

In the quiet of his own den, with sleeping sounds around him and the touch of memory moving on his skin like a thick cloud, Kouga paced the hall and passages, ignoring the ache of his shoulder and the burning in his throat; he suffered other pains far deeper.

His feelings were confused, if not traitorous; his thoughts told him he should feel shame. He had been defeated; he had lost...had _died_. But then, was his father not dead in shame, and all the others who had died in Challenge? That could not be the truth – he wouldn't _let_ it be the truth.

_I wakened to life, and I didn't expect that any more than the death that preceded it. If she hadn't - if she hadn't – _

"Why couldn't she have been for me – for _me_?"

He whispered the words to himself and felt an ache in his bones. The old ways spoke truly; it was not _safe_ to love - not a female, not one who would be mate.

_I will die for her. I will._

_Again._

Penetrating, the thought stayed with him, but it was not frightening. He had seen death, tasted it, and now, though he could not laugh at it, he could meet its eyes on his own terms. His struggle with shame brought him close to understanding, but still, he was not without regret.

_If I had followed her; if I had not let her leave, the last time I saw her; if I had not waited; if I had gone to find her, take her – _

The long corridor he was following led him back to his own chambers, to firelight and to Ginta and Hakkaku, who were waiting by his cushions with strong wine.

It was Hakkaku who spoke.

"Drink, Kouga-sama, and remember – and then forget. We are...we wanted to tell you we're sorry."

Kouga, watching them, the familiar faces, the familiar features, remembered the look of pity that he had thought imaginary, that question, so odd, following on the heels of the message that had come announcing the Presentation of Sesshomaru's mate.

"_Anything special for the female, my lord?" _

"You – you _knew_! You knew she was the one – and you did not tell me – "

Black anger was loud in his face, and both of them took a step backwards, shaking their heads, all their gestures placating.

"We suspected, only. That's all – we suspected. How could we tell you when we weren't sure? There was only rumor, and that scent...and we…we hoped it was not true, Kouga-sama – for your sake."

Kouga stood still, and his claws relaxed.

"We saw how you cared for her, Kouga-sama; we care for her too. She's our Kagome-nee-san still."

And Kouga laughed then, a deep, hard sound that made them flinch away again.

"But nothing else is the same; she is Inu – _Inu_. And I am told…I am told that _before_, even when she seemed most human, she was hiding a Dragon under her skin. Can you imagine, Ginta, Hakkaku? Can you see it? I could have made her mine, mine, and she would have been a Wolf for me – a Wolf, glittering with her darkness –"

He fell silent, and Ginta became aware that he was holding back a yowl of despair, fighting with it. Finally, Kouga let out a long sigh.

"I should have…I should have known."

He grimaced.

"She has always walked with an Inu at her side."

They all sat in silence after that, Ginta and Hakkaku keeping company with Kouga's anger and grief. Ginta poured wine for all three of them, and pretended not to notice the long streaks of dampness that lined Kouga's cheeks, reflecting the firelight.

In the silence, there was comfort – the only comfort there could be.

* * *

In that same nightfall, patrolling the edge of the village and the fields adjoining the wood, Miroku stood quietly, listening. There was a rustle in the darkness, and then silence – he knew it for the sounds of fleeing beasts in the forest coming to him faintly

The moon, near its full in a cloudless sky, illuminated the furthest reaches of the night, so bright that every blade of grass cast a cutting shadow. The wind was cool, but faint; there was so much seeming calmness that Miroku felt tension prickling in counterpoint on his skin. Energy flared at him as he concentrated, a bright aura deep among the trees, approaching fast.

"A demon...a strong one."

He muttered quietly to himself; then his eyes widened, and he turned slightly towards the trees.

"No – more than one. Two! But one is _much _stronger..."

He scanned the edge of the forest, his staff gripped tightly in one hand – and then turned quickly, and broke it in half with a strike of overwhelming force that hit the rock which was behind where Kagome had been standing...

His thoughts skipped. Kagome?

"Kagome – Kagome!"

He scowled at the remains of his staff for a moment, and then tossed it aside and hugged her tightly.

"I wasn't expecting to see you; sorry, I thought you were -"

"A rampaging demon come to destroy the village?"

Miroku looked sheepish.

"Sort of. Yes."

He grinned.

"But it's good to see you, anyway; and – Shippou. Hello!"

"Hi, Miroku! You're gonna need a new staff -"

"Yes, I _know_ -"

Kagome interrupted what was sure to become an interesting rant.

"Miroku, where's Sango? Shouldn't she be out here with you? I went to see Kouga for this..._thing_...and then I realized I was close, so I thought I'd stop by..."

Miroku shrugged.

"Sango's back home; we've been doing alternate night patrols since Kaede's been occupied with some villagers. A stranger came through with a caravan, and stayed – man named Taru who married in while you were away. His daughter died, and he and his wife have been sick since then – and his wife's aunt, too, just came down with the same thing last night."

He sighed.

"Sango and I decided to postpone the wedding – didn't seem right, after..."

He rolled his shoulders uncertainly and looked back toward the village.

"Next month, I hope. Are you going to come and stay the rest of the night, Kagome? Shippou looks tired – and if you stay I can come back in with you."

Kagome laughed.

"Trying to get out of guard duty? All right – but just until Sango gets up. If I left without telling her she'd kill me."

Kagome ignored the touch of guilt at accepting this invitation when she had denied Kouga's, and consoled herself with the thought that it just wouldn't have been wise. _Especially_ not after he kissed her, which was...well, understandable, but a _very bad idea_. Miroku led the way into the village, and brought Kagome to Kaede's hut.

Surprisingly, the old woman was awake, packing a basket of herbs in the faint light of the fire burning on the hearth. She turned quickly to the demon presence in her door, and then smiled when she saw that it was only Kagome and Shippou, without any...escort.

"Kagome, what a pleasant surprise; my home is open to you as always. Are you well?"

"Very well, Kaede; I was nearby, and thought I'd stop to visit."

Shippou leapt out of Kagome's grasp, so that Kagome could bend and hug the old woman.

"And are _you_ well, Kaede? Miroku said some people were sick..."

Kaede accepted Kagome's hand to lever herself up from the floor, and patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"I wouldn't worry, child. People are always getting sick this time of year; it is the change of the season, and it gets chilly at night. Farmers go out into the fields in the morning, and the dew is cold and they become damp, and work all day...and then the _next _morning, they are feverish and complain, and wonder why. Foolish men."

Kagome smiled a little, relieved. It didn't occur to her to question that such an explanation could not apply to a traveling merchant...or his daughter.

"All right; if you say so. Do you want some help? I'm not tired – I slept last night, so..."

"No, no; you stay here, and visit with Miroku. I've just what I need here, and the water boiling in Kanzuki's house; with any luck, Taru and his wife will sleep after this, and then _I_ will get some sleep."

Quickly and quietly, Kaede made her way outside. Miroku gestured for Kagome to seat herself by the fire, and Shippou scampered over to where Kirara was sleeping and curled up into a ball with a contented sigh. He fell asleep listening the low hum of conversation and Kagome's laughter.

By the time the moon had set, Kagome sat alone in the moonlight; Miroku had fallen asleep where he was sitting, his head leaning to one side, a smile on his face. Her eyes fell to his hand, unwrapped, unbound, loose and open on the floor; then she turned her gaze out the window and smiled to herself, thinking; thinking.

About the many meanings of happiness; about the way each of those meanings seemed to have settled around her life. She had a mate; a son. She had her friends, and they had each other. She had won acceptance from those whose opinions mattered; she had restored a great part of what had been lost between herself and Kouga...

Waiting for her friends to wake, or Kaede to return, Kagome strolled around the outside of the house and then leapt up onto the roof to watch the dawn. Rose-golden light flowed down from a clear sky; she turned her face toward the sun and smiled.

Life was good, and that was unusual and worthy of note.

* * *

It was Sango who was the first one up, and Kagome was glad; time was wearing on, and she wanted to be on her way. The anxious feeling that accompanied her delayed homecoming made real for her with a swaying moment of strangeness how completely her life had changed; Sesshomaru's fortress, home?

_Yes._

Sango was surprised to find Kagome peering down from the roof when she came outside, yawning and stretching, but she was pleased at the unexpected visit and squeezed Kagome in a tight hug when she came down.

"I wasn't expecting you; did you come about the wedding? It's been postponed -"

Kagome waved away Sango's explanations.

"I know – Miroku was on guard duty when I showed up last night; did you see his staff anywhere when you got up?"

Kagome giggled as Sango shook her head, mystified.

"No..."

"Well try not to laugh too hard when you see it; he broke it in half on a rock trying to bash my head in."

More giggles. Sango glared at the door behind her and fisted her hands on her hips.

"Bash your head in? What in the world – I'll give _him _a good bashing -"

"Well, he didn't know it was _me_, but still – you should've seen his face!"

And Kagome's giggles became laughter, which Sango joined after a moment's pause.

When their amusement had faded away, Sango cocked her head to one side and looked at Kagome strangely for a moment, then reached out with one finger and touched Kagome's forehead gently. She traced the shape of the crescent moon that had been Inked there, and gave Kagome a questioning glance.

"How did that happen?"

So while Kagome helped with the usual morning tasks – lighting the fire, setting water to boil for tea and rice porridge – she told Sango all the details of her Presentation, the adoption of Rin and the appearance of Eldest.

"I'm not sure I can real explain what she's like, Sango – umm...you know how Kaede is, right – how she's all wise, and motherly, but...she has that _scaryness_, too?"

Sango raised her eyebrows, but nodded.

"Well...Oyume-sama – Eldest – she's like that...but the scaryness is much worse."

Sango laughed lightly; Kagome grinned, and paused before continuing.

"Eldest...she thinks my mother was her sister; that we're related. That's why she came to the Presentation; she says she wants to be part of my _family_, but - well. _You_ know where I'm from; what do you think, Sango?"

Sango shrugged, and puttered around gathering up her bath things – soap, sponge, towel.

"I'm not sure, Kagome. But I would be careful...and good to her. It sounds like she's someone of power and presence. If she wishes things to go well for you, surely her influence can't be terrible?"

Kagome gained a thoughtful expression, and tapped a finger against her chin.

"I wonder. She tried to give me a – well, a servant I suppose, as a Presentation gift. But Sesshomaru seemed _very _much displeased by the idea, so I refused her. Politely, of course, and she didn't seem upset – but..."

And Kagome shrugged.

"But never mind. I didn't come here to bother you with silly stuff like that. Tell me about your wedding plans, Sango!"

She sat beside the river while Sango bathed, endured teasing about Sesshomaru, and teased in return about Miroku – which, to be honest, wasn't a fair exchange as Kagome had _infinitely_ more material to use – but before the morning had worn away, Kagome found herself making excuses and saying her goodbyes.

"I only stopped to stay hello, and now I've stayed so long -"

Sango stared at her anxiously.

"Sesshomaru won't...won't be _angry_, will he?"

Kagome shrugged, and patted her friend's shoulder reassuringly.

"It doesn't matter – no, really it doesn't. Even if he was unhappy, he wouldn't hurt me. It's...it's not like that between us."

Sango looked distinctly relieved, and then nudged Kagome with her shoulder as they walked along back toward the village.

"Hey, Kagome...all teasing aside – tell me...what _is_ it like between you and Sesshomaru?"

Kagome flushed, and folded her arms across her chest, squeezing herself tightly.

"At first it was...strange. _Very_ strange. But – it's...he's...we've _changed_. At least, I know _I_ have; and... it's _wonderful_. I _think_ – he _said_ - "

She paused, shook her head. Sesshomaru's question, his feral tenderness – she wanted to keep that to herself. She smiled, full and brilliantly, and Sango returned the expression.

"That's good, Kagome; I'm glad for you. Miroku and I were worried, you know; what we've seen of Sesshomaru hasn't been...uh...the most _reassuring_ thing to think about."

Kagome patted her shoulder, and then gave her friend a worried look as Sango broke into a sudden, hacking fit of coughing.

"Ack – I'm fine, I'm fine – how I managed to choke on _air_..."

Sango shook her head and rubbed at her throat. Both their attention was quickly distracted by the welcoming committee of Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara that greeted them at the edge of the village. Sango noticed at once that, indeed, Miroku was without his ever-present staff, and broke into peals of laughter.

Kagome scratched behind Kirara's ears, poked fun at Miroku with the thought of a lecherous houshi with a broken staff, and allowed Shippou to leap up onto her shoulder.

"I have to get going; I bet Sesshomaru will go so far as to wrinkle his nose when I get home smelling like humans!"

She laughed, and squeezed each of them in a final hug. Then she darted across the fields, and into the edge of the trees, and was gone from their view.

Miroku and Sango watched until she was gone; as they turned to walk away, Sango was seized with another fit of coughing that ended in an irritated wheeze.

"Sango -"

"I'm fine – fine! Don't worry about me."

Feeling daring, still a little shy, she reached out and grasped his hand, wove their fingers together.

"So what do we have to do today, Miroku?"

* * *

It was not yet far past noon when Kagome returned home, and she was slightly disappointed that Sesshomaru was not waiting for her; the memory of him standing in the gate, watching her leave, was still clear in her mind. Instead, she left Shippou at his rooms to unpack and followed the scent of her mate through the hallways. The strongest trail of his presence led past their bedchamber and up to the third floor, winding here and there.

Soon, she found herself going up again by a staircase tucked in a corner and smelling of dust; one she had not yet climbed. It seemed endless; after several dozen steps the stairs were no longer smooth and even. The walls became rocky and rough.

Finally, the stairs ended in a wide, open chamber, and she looked down and saw that the view from the narrow windows looked down at the side of the mountain that backed the fortress. In front of her, high above the limits of the wall that bounded the courtyards and gardens, Kagome could see the expanse of the West open before her. She saw pale meadows, dark forests, blue flowing water.

"Oh! I'm _inside_ the mountain..."

She had climbed deep into its stony heart.

From her right, through an open door, came the sound of papers rustling and then a call of her name.

"Kagome -"

She took a few quick steps, and then he looked up at her and scowled. As she had predicted, only a moment passed before his nose wrinkled, just slightly, a crinkle of skin, a drawing down of his pale eyebrows.

But it was not the scent of humans that had disturbed him; it was the drifting odor of Kouga that still hung on her skin, in her clothes - the musk of Wolves and their den. It bothered him more than he wanted to admit; the smell of the human village, of the ones she called friends, lingered – but Kouga's scent clung, as if even the _stench_ of the Wolf was intent on claiming her.

With one quick movement he stood and set aside the parchment volume he had been perusing, left it open on a table of dark wood.

"I would have come to greet you, mate, but I did not expect you; I had thought you would visit longer with your friends."

Kagome raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"How did you know I was -"

"I did not _know_ – but I suspected you would stop by there; Edo lies close to the path that runs between our home and the Wolf Den. But – do not speak, now, Kagome."

Her features scrunched quizzically, and then smoothed as he kissed her, carefully, thoroughly, washing away the scent and the thought of the Wolf with his own presence.

After a minute or so, when Kagome was thoroughly flushed, Sesshomaru stepped back and gave her a hard stare, reached out and lay a finger on her lips.

"Kagome – the Wolf. Why do I-"

Kagome scowled brilliantly, and then let out a sigh.

"Please don't go on a rampage. I hugged him, because I was happy he didn't hate me – and he _kissed_ me."

Kagome shook her head, snorted faintly.

"Idiot, I swear...but it's okay. He asked me to stay the night, but there was no _way_ that was going to happen – I think he's just...sad, mate."

Kagome's attitude placated the immediate flaring of all Sesshomaru's possessive instincts, but he filed away his momentary rage for another day, and Kouga's presence. He allowed himself to revel in the memory of his victorious Challenge, the lifeblood of the Wolf at his feet...

It was just for an instant, but he felt better after that.

Pleased to find that Sesshomaru was _not_ intent on going out to murder Kouga – at least, not _immediately_ – Kagome leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"Anyway – will you tell me what you're doing, Sesshomaru? I haven't been up here, yet – and it's awfully dusty..."

There was a glint of humor in his eyes as he shook his head and stepped back, gesturing for her to follow him over to the pile of papers he had been reading. He reached out for the book that had been in his hands when he called to her, and began to turn the pages back, looking for something. Idly, he questioned her while his fingers sifted through parchment.

"Kagome, what can you tell me about your mother?"

"My...my mother? Well – that depends, what do you want to know?"

Sesshomaru came to the page he had been searching for and eyed her speculatively, tapped his claws against the table.

"Her name, her nature...how she came to bring _you_ into the world. You told me you come from the future; how is it that you came to be in this time?"

"I...I came through the Bone Eater's Well. It's a dry well in the middle of Inuya – in the middle of the forest near the village."

"The well beneath the tree. I have seen it; it is empty. Just an empty well -"

"Yes, but you've never been _inside_ it, have you?"

Sesshomaru stared at her.

"Inside – why would I -"

"Well that's just it, you see! In the future, I was trying to get my cat, Buyo, out of the well house - because my brother was _dumb_ and let him in...anyway, a Centipede youkai burst out of the well, started screeching about the shikon jewel, and then...pulled me through the well."

"_Through_ the well?"

"Yes. Through. When I jumped in the well, it opened a portal in time – a portal from my present, your future, to _your_ present, the Sengoku Jidai...which is in _my_ past."

Sesshomaru stared.

"That is...improbable."

Kagome grinned.

"Yes! But...it happened. Or I wouldn't be here."

Sesshomaru appeared lost in thought, and Kagome waved a hand in front of his face, amused and then chagrined when he caught hold of it, pressed his lips to her wrist and then nipped gently at it.

"You are distracting, mate – let me think."

"Yes, Sesshomaru."

After several moments, he nodded slowly, and then lifted the heavy book up in front of her eyes. The pages were dusty, and the ink was pale in some spots, the black beginning to fade. On one page, there were long columns of characters in a fine hand – but on the other...

"Here. Look, mate. Do you see anyone familiar?"

On the other page there was a pair of portraits, their colors faded but the lines carefully preserved. Kagome reached out with fingers suddenly trembling to touch the page, and then slowly,_ very _slowly, opened her mouth to speak.

"M-mama?"

Sesshomaru looked at her with an odd expression, comforting and calculating both, and then nodded.

"I cannot...I do not understand _how_ this can be – but mate, this portrait is of Kurakazurahime; she was the elder sister of the one you know as Eldest. Ages ago she was lost, as she fled to protect her unborn child. Many generations have passed since then, even among youkai – but you...you recognize her face; you call her mother though you are so young it is almost a travesty that I have taken you for my mate."

He shook his head.

"Are you certain, Kagome? Are you certain of what you see?"

Carefully, Kagome took the weight of the book from him, and peered down at the portrait. She recognized Oyume-sama, Eldest's fine-drawn features almost exactly the same in the picture as they had been in person. And her sister...

Kagome studied the shape of those eyes, the curves of the face, that certain smile. Her ears were demon-pointed, her painted smile glimmering with fangs – but still, she recognized her mother. She recalled the photograph of her parent's wedding that her mother cherished like a precious treasure, and imagined that youthful version of her mother's features overlaid on the portrait in front of her.

_The same. They are the same – but – how?_

She felt Sesshomaru's hand on her shoulder, curiously gentle, and looked up.

"After much thought, and knowing now how you came here – I wonder, now, if you are the first of your bloodline to have fallen through time."

Kagome waited, wide-eyed, though she could already imagine what he was going to say.

"Kurakazurahime was lost in the forest, fleeing from foes that sought to end her and the child she carried; this much is known to history. I believe now that was _not_ slain – that the tales of her enemies, who died claiming they had never found her, are to be believed. She must have encountered that well – the well which brought you here...and through its power, she was brought to the future that became her home, and yours. In that future, you were born, a Dragon-miko bound by ancient powers made strong by your closeness to their source..."

"And then I returned here."

"Yes."

"And found Inuyasha – and _you_ -"

"Yes. All this time, I have wondered how you could be true-bred; how the demon blood in your veins could be so strong – and now I know. Eldest spoke truth to you; you are the daughter of the Lost Princess, the last Heir of a vanished Line."

And Sesshomaru suddenly smiled.

"Do you understand what this means, Kagome? Do you understand – who you are?"

Wordlessly, Kagome shook her head.

"You are the eldest daughter of an eldest daughter, who mated an eldest son – _the_ eldest son. You are the last scion of the true Line of the Dragonlord...and now you are_ Inu_, and _mine_."

She swallowed.

"Between us, Kagome, we unite the broken line of the True House; for I am descendant, through many fathers, of the second mate of the one who was _your_ father – the Rebel Emperor, the elder brother of the Last Dragonlord – the one who was betrayed. Your mother, who was thought stolen, or destroyed, instead passed through time and never knew of the war her passing precipitated...a war between brothers; a war that divided the world for all time."

For a moment, mysterious, his eyes glowed at her, mystic yellow.

"Perhaps, Kagome, you are more of a Healer than you know."

And he stared at her in the silence after his words, wondering.

Would she aid him on his Path of Conquest?

Would she close the wound of lives that lay between him and his goal?

And sparkling before him, glistening, tempting, was suddenly that thought that the one who claimed Kagome claimed also a mate's right to the Lordship of her House.

_I could be Dragonlord. I could __rule__ them__** all.**_

His father had been a general; he could be _king_. _Emperor_.

And then he scowled brilliantly.

_But that was never what I wanted. I wanted - justice. Vengeance. And now – her. _

* * *

A/N: FINALLY! I have spent the better part of the last few days saving this chapter, which was eaten by my openoffice and then regurgitated as ####'s. Every word became a #. It was AWFUL. But, thanks to Norton, I recovered it, and was inspired by the Mighty Lillian-dono to actually FINISH it. Seriously, inspired – because I had been stuck in the MIDDLE of this for AGES even before it was lost. Oh – and the reference in the title to a "falling gem" is to Kurakazurahime (black+jeweled+princess), NOT to the shikon no tama :p

Lastly...would you prefer to see more long chapters like this one and those before – or something more like Alpha, which tends to have "drabble chapters" between 400 and 1500 words?

Please Review!


	39. XXXIX: Mortal Effort

XXXIX.

Mortal Effort

* * *

While Kagome was still, staring at the portrait of her mother, Sesshomaru calmed both his instincts and his pride, his thirst for power and the lure of greatness beyond anything his father had ever achieved; it was not so hard. It would be...easy and _wrong_ to gain power through Kagome, who had no idea of her place, no idea of her inheritance...

_Daughter of the Lost Princess. Heir of the Dragon Lines. The White Priestess of the West they call her – and other things. But she...she understands none of it. And I – I wish I did not_.

He had spent many days seeking out the reasons for Kagome's presence in his life – reasons for her power, her inheritance...reasons for Eldest's interference in what would otherwise have been a simple ceremony. Now that he knew, though...now that he knew, he wanted nothing more than to ignore what he had learned – and that was something he could not do.

_I cannot hide from the truth. Others besides my House have kept records of the past. I knew, even without Kagome's confirmation; I could tell, looking at the portrait...there is enough likeness between her and her mother; she has Eldest's eyes, Dragon-eyes, even with the Inu coloring._

It was not, however, a good time to worry about accumulating power or making drastic changes in the political landscape of the youkai world. The presence of darkness poised to conquer had not left him since before the presentation; rather, it had strengthened, growing and changing into a powerful portent of destruction.

But now...now, Sesshomaru tuned his senses carefully to his mate, and scented her distress, her sorrow and surprise tied tightly together.

"Kagome."

Sesshomaru held out a hand to her, and she took it willingly, stepped close to him and relaxed into his embrace. Gradually, he was learning that a touch was the easiest way to comfort her; it was not a simple thing for him, to relax centuries of coldness and personal distance...but she was his mate, and what she needed, he would give.

"This should not hurt you, Kagome, I -"

"Oh, it doesn't...not really. It's just that...I miss my family. My mother...my grandfather...my brother – my friends and the shrine and even stupid school."

Her lip quivered ominously, but Sesshomaru reached out a hand and stilled the trembling with a finger, tilted her head up and soothed her with a kiss.

"Mate. Do not forget – it will take time, but you _will _see them again."

She drew in a deep breath and smiled for him.

"Yes. Yes. I'm sorry, it's -"

"You are a caring person, mate. I know this; you need not apologize."

He closed the book, and stepped back from the cloud of dust that went up from the covers as they settled together.

This truth he had learned answered not only his own pressing question, but an ancient mystery which had lain unanswered in the records...as well as the question of Kasuka's growing interference. He had wondered what it was that had driven the old enemy of his House into the open; he saw now that it was not only that he had taken a mate, but the mate he had taken that concerned her.

_If Kasuka does not know, she certainly must suspect...and as rumor grows, as we are forced to give confirmation, she will only become stronger in her opposition. _

No denial on his part would ever be able to prevent it; she would assume that he sought to claim the position of Dragonlord; that he had taken Kagome as his mate solely to claim dominance over her House and bloodline.

_As she wished my father to do – and I. Beside **her**. But only for destruction...and..._

Having confirmed his suspicion cleared Sesshomaru's thoughts; if they were challenged now about Kagome's ancestry, he had his answer – an answer Eldest would confirm, an answer that would not shame his mate. He had been afraid that her mother was not her mother – or that they would have to explain some greater mystery, if her parents were truly human.

Content now, and irritated by the stuffy air of this ancient chamber, Sesshomaru took Kagome's hand and led her back down the stairs the way she had come. At the bottom of the stairs, he took a deep breath, glad to be free of the dust – and then turned to Kagome with a face drained of all color.

Here, free of the odors of old leather, breathing deeply because there were no irritants, he could scent the Wolf on her more strongly, but also the myriad scents of the human village. Most intense were the odors of the humans that were here friends – and entwined with one of those scents, a thing he had encountered before.

A thing he feared, not for his sake, but for his...daughter's.

"Kagome – have you seen Rin? Have you been near her since you returned?"

His grip on her wrist became suddenly tight, painful. When she gasped, and did not answer immediately, he shook her and repeated the question.

"Did you go near Rin, Kagome? _Did_ _you_?"

She stared at him with wide eyes, and shook her head.

"No – no, I went straight up there, looking for you and – Sesshomaru, please! You're hurting me -"

He let go immediately, but his voice was still harsh.

"You must go out to the courtyard and strip; I will have screens set up for you, and water brought. Those robes must be burnt; wash, and I will send out new clothes for you."

And then he looked at her strangely, his gaze piercing and cold and sympathetic.

"I am sorry...about your friend. The woman."

A chill drove straight down Kagome's spine.

"S-Sango? She – she's fine..."

Slowly, he shook his head.

"No, Kagome. I did not notice before – upstairs, where one can barely breathe in the first place. But now I can smell it on you – the village, and the woman, and that terrible sickness. I have encountered it...before."

Kagome drew in a long, strangled breath. She remembered what Miroku and Kaede both had told her – illness and death, the dark specters of this age. She remembered that a woman in the Sengoku period had a lifespan of forty years or less, and that Sango had celebrated her twentieth birthday two years past. She remembered the cough that Sango had brushed off as nothing, and a terrible feeling, half anxiety, half premonition, crept over her.

"Oh – oh _no_...not _Sango_ - "

Sesshomaru stared at her, woken to sudden awareness that she had not known – had not even suspected.

"I have to go back, Sesshomaru. I have to – I have to go back. There are medicines, ways to prevent the spread of diseases – I have antibiotics still, to - to treat...they've cured all this in the future, and -"

She was panicking, her reactions out of sorts, her emotions fluctuating wildly.

Sesshomaru took deep, calming breaths, and reached out to her.

"Of course you will go back – and I will go with you."

She gripped his hands in cold, tight fingers, and held on as if for dear life. Sesshomaru pulled her close, and held her against his chest so she could not see the scowl on his face.

_If that woman dies, and hurts my Kagome – I will never forgive her._

Sesshomaru instructed Shippou – from a distance – that he was to care for Rin, and watch over her while they were away. Kagome watched his care with something close to amusement, but Sesshomaru was anxious for Rin's safety and would not put that aside for mere _appearances_.

_Rin has already passed twice beyond the borders of death. Tenseiga cannot save her; neither will the Meidou grant me passage. She is already touched by what has happened to her; she brought me a message from beyond the border of this world. _

_I **will** **not** risk her._

The day had passed them by, by the time Kagome had packed all the things she said she needed, and Sesshomaru pulled her along as swiftly as she could go, testing her limits with a furious run.

The moon was low on the horizon when they reached Edo, the sky pale and torn with the red flash of sunset. Kagome saw Miroku with keen youkai sight, following the dirt track that rode along the ridge separating the fields from the village proper. He looked...odd, and she realized then that it was because he wasn't carrying his shakujou; that he was instead carrying a normal wooden staff.

Despite the reason for her return journey, Kagome couldn't help but grin.

That night, despite the scent of sickness that she could not now ignore, Kagome sat with Sango and Miroku and laughed and talked like it was the old days. Occasionally Sesshomaru could be prevailed upon for a comment or a growl...but neither of them said anything to Sango, who seemed perfectly fine, now...especially in the light of the news that Kaede brought.

"Neither Taru nor his wife is getting any better."

She stirred the fire slowly; her eye was tired, dim.

"I am afraid...I do not think Taru will last the night."

And with those words, Kagome was on her feet, good humor forgotten, determined expression in place.

"All right, that's it. Who's going to take me to these people? I'm here, might as well do some good – no, Miroku, no arguments. No one is going to die my first night here – or any night, if I have something to say about it!"

With a groan, Kaede pushed herself to her feet; Kagome was already at the door waiting with her bag by the time the old miko had managed to cross the floor. Kagome eyed her closely, nostrils dilated as she sniffed for that entwined presence of illness she had detected in Sango...but there was nothing. Just the grim weariness of an old woman who had seen far too much death in her time.

Outside, Kaede looked up at Kagome out of the corner of her eye, and made a gesture back toward her hut.

"You came for Sango, didn't you?"

Kagome was too startled to even attempt denial.

"I...she...Sesshomaru said -"

"Aye, I imagine he would. Too stubborn for her own good, that girl is – too intent on taking care of everyone else. That cough, now – I don't like that cough. Taru started out just the same, and now..."

She shook her head.

They had reached the dwelling where Taru and his wife were laid up in their sickbeds; the odors of illness were so strong that Kagome was struck as if by a physical blow, and then she steeled herself and went in.

On the futon by the eastern wall, there was a woman, moaning in fever, delirious and sweaty, her chest convulsing with a hacking cough. A man lay across from her, gray and still, the scent of his sickness darkening towards death. Kagome eyes fastened on a lump at his throat and another near his armpit; the swelling buboes were a sign that she had half-expected, half-feared – but she knew what to do now.

Kaede went to the fire, built it up and started water boiling.

Kagome tied back her sleeves, and opened her bag, and went to work.

What followed over the next three weeks was a whirlwind that Sesshomaru should have expected, but did not; he had seen her many times, patching up her compatriots, offering a bandage and a smile to a stranger – but that had not equated in his mind with the reality of her calling.

In all the ways that mattered, Kagome _was_, and always had been, a miko. For a miko was a healer, one who was meant to stride the balance of worlds; she was a hand to help, a voice to soothe, a laugh to brighten and a love to heal – she was all of the light, without the darkness...still.

Though she was his mate, he need never have feared his taint could touch her. She was bright, a light in the darkness, heavenly though youkai - more powerful now than she had ever been, and aware of that power, moving in it, with it. It became a constant whisper of strength around her, gave a lift of energy and hope even to those who were most ill.

Her very name became a healing word – and it was well that this was so, for as the sickness spread her presence became more needed. Sesshomaru left her for only a few hours, every three days – enough time to soothe the guardian at his gate with his presence, enough time to speak with shadows and determine Rin's well being.

He had never done this before – left his girl alone, unguarded by anything but that _presence_ for so many days...but it was necessary. Kagome needed him – and her need brought him close to a danger he would never expose Rin to. Not her.

_Not her_.

The man, Taru, who had been in such terrible danger the night they arrived, lived. So did his wife. Others, slower to show symptoms, slower to take sick, grew bad, and then worse. The _Taijiya_ was among those struck by sickness – the houshi, her man, was not. Along with the old miko, Miroku remained outside the isolated huts, placing barriers of power that stood over the houses of the sick.

Kagome, bolstered by her youkai immunity, did everything she could think of to try and halt the spread of the sickness – quarantine, antibiotics, power, herbs.

Even Sesshomaru took his turn, reinforcing with his own power the work the miko and monk had done. If he had not, they would never have succeeded; the work was draining, and they were only human.

It was a point of pride for him that he could help his mate in this way, when all the rest of her _pack_ had failed...but he would never mention it. They were his, these humans – because they were hers, and because their village bordered his own lands.

If they died, now that he had committed himself to Kagome's efforts, he would take it as a personal affront.

It was youkai strength that sustained him – as it was youkai strength that sustained Kagome. He had not seen her sleep, though she must have, if only a nap here and there – she ate only what he brought her, and only out of the sight of her friends.

For the first time he felt the Inu within him thrum in pleasure as his mate gorged herself on his hunt, devouring sweet raw flesh and salt-hot blood, renewing her strength as best she could. Though he was reassured by this, he knew it would not be enough for long; even youkai could not push themselves as she was doing forever.

What she needed was rest – true rest. To hold Rin and Shippou close, without worry, to return to that pleasant day when she had been full of happiness; to back away from despair, and frustration, and her desperate attempts to keep alive the only sister she had ever known – and the rest of the village, too.

_That _was the thing that wore on her the most; Sango, strong, vital Sango, was succumbing to this sickness. It had settled early in her lungs, becoming pneumonic, but Miroku had brought her fighting to her bed, vehemently refusing to acknowledge there was anything more wrong with her than a cold.

When the first lump showed, painfully swelling beneath her skin, she had gone silent, and subdued – but by then it was nearing too late.

Kagome's strange drugs from the future were almost gone, her power depleted by weeks of use and strain. The stores of herbs were low – everything was low. There were whispers of winter starvation to come as the rice came into its seasons and the grains ripened, and still men and women lay struck down with sickness; even the vegetable patches usually tended by children were burdened with overripe greens.

Sesshomaru looked around, and saw worry and the pinch of fear on almost every face but Kagome's – and he knew that her composure hung by a thread.

It was a fragile thread – a single woman's life. He considered, quietly, if there was anything he could do...and then spun quickly back towards the sound of Kagome's voice, soothing some sufferer. He found her in a squalid hut, wiping away flecks of bloody sputum from the corner of Sango's mouth. The line of her smile was a shivering, quivering, thing; he knew then that he was doing right.

"Kagome."

She looked up at him, startled, and he saw that she hadn't even noticed him come in.

"Sesshomaru...is there something you need?"

She stood, and swayed, and then caught herself on the edge of her chair

His eyes narrowed at her, and he took the two steps necessary to close the distance between them and reached out for her. She was pale, trembling, dark-eyed; she looked as ill as half her patients and he felt a painful throb in his chest, just looking at her.

_I will hunt for her again when I return, and I will **insist** she sleep._

But for now...there were necessities.

"Kagome, I came to tell you I will return home, now. I will return soon – before nightfall, if all goes well. Tell me, can you make a list, swiftly, of all the herbs and potions you require?"

Her eyes widened; she seemed fractionally more alert.

"I...I could, but – but why? There's nowhere nearby I could -"

"I will send Jaken on Ah-Un. He was quite skillful at procuring items from human villages when it was required for Rin...though it may mean I must lend him the Staff of Two Heads once more."

For a moment, her mouth opened wide, and she pressed her hands against it – and then grabbed at him, and hugged him tightly, so tightly she might have killed someone else.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you -"

He felt only pleasure, that he had made a correct decision, and bent forward to kiss her once, softly, on the mouth.

"Make your list, Kagome. Quickly."

She wrote so fast that he was surprised the characters were even legible, and then pressed a thin, strange sheet of paper, marked with blue lines, into his hand.

"Before nightfall, Kagome. I will return. And I will _insure_ Jaken returns tomorrow with what you require."

It was a quick journey, there and back – he had made it half a dozen times already, returning to steady the sleep of an ambush of power. He called for Jaken specifically, and waited while he was brought to the gate; in the glimpse of a high window he saw Rin, staring down at him, waving frantically...and behind her, over her shoulder, the glitter of green Kitsune eyes.

He felt suddenly reassured; she was no longer alone. Rin, too, had a companion.

Hesitantly, he waved back – and then turned to Jaken, who had appeared in the open gate.

"I have a task for you; do _not_ fail me."

Jaken heard the emphasis, and accepted his mission with a gulp and deep breath.

It was early in the evening when Sesshomaru returned to the village, two hours before he had told Kagome he would return.

He arrived to a place drowned in wailing, the mourning cries of widows and daughters; bereavement – a death, then.

He let out a long sigh; these weeks, he had been expecting it, waiting for it, but Kagome had held the mortal shadow at bay as if by sheer force of will. Shaking his head, he turned toward the forest, already dismissing the scents of sickness and death in favor of the musk of the forest beasts.

There was a scream from behind him, a cry not human but youkai, and in seventeen seconds he was at Kagome's side, staring down at the body of the woman she had loved so much.

In the dimness of the fortress as the night grew in darkness, Rin sat alone at the long table in the hall and chewed thoughtfully. It was not yet time to be worrying – Sesshomaru-sama had only just returned to them, and barely four hours had passed since his departure.

Still - uneasiness was growing on her. A presence loomed over her shoulder, but it was not the familiar silence of those who walked the halls with her.

Partially, it was because she was alone, without Sesshomaru-sama, or okaa-san...only her new onii-san. All day, she had felt strange, but Shippou had not seemed to notice. He was kitsune, youkai - but he was not attuned to this place like she was.

He was already sleeping, at ease in his new bed.

Rin finished her snack and wandered away from the table down the hallways, almost humming, not quite singing, in a low voice. She listened to almost-whispers, to the wind in the corridors and the silences. Usually those things were quiet, background sounds, reassurance – tonight they were sounds-as-motion, living noise.

The darkness drew on as the night deepened, closing around the stones like a gloved hand, but Rin did not go seeking out her bed, or the sleepy firelight in the library, or the bubbling of the springs. Instead, like a tiny guard, she followed her thoughts around in circles, peering past windows, blinking into the night and holding her breath so as not to mist the windows.

Outside, pale blue moonlight illuminated the courtyards, the gardens of withering blossoms and fallen leaves. It highlighted the edges of new-bared branches and set the reflection pool aglow with cerulean light, but it was not the light that drew her attention, not the clean edges that showed under it but the shadows that floated near it. They were strange shadows that seemed to hide outside the angle of the moonslight; swiftly, soft as a whisper, she made her way down the stairs and through the silent-thick hallways, out through a side-door to an alcove that showed her a hidden view of moon-embraced grasses and cold red leaves.

The presence of watchful danger increased moment by moment as she approached the outside. She had no sense of immediate peril, but Sesshomaru-sama had taught her himself and his effort had not been for nothing. She knew the taste of danger, its thickness infiltrating itself into her air, her breathing. Slowly, becoming reluctant with an emotion that was near to fear, she slid across the courtyards to the inside of the Wall, and then around until she came to the stairs and could climb them to the top of the out-leaning parapet.

Under her feet, the white stone was cold, almost icy, and at the top of the Wall the wind was stronger, but she counted stars and tried to appear unconcerned. Her eyes had already picked out the dangerous strangeness; on the ground and further away, near the reaching arm of the grassy plains that approached the Gate, there was movement.

Close to her, by her side, there was a sudden whisper, a soundless focus of discontent that she knew well – the ones who served Sesshomaru-sama, standing with her now, aware but apparently helpless.

"I wonder who these are, and why they are here. Sesshomaru-sama will not be pleased."

Around her, the discontent was stronger, and she knew what they wanted – her, safe inside stone walls, safe in her bed. In that focus, there were other things as well. _They_ had an awareness of the _presence_ that had drawn her, pulled her outside, and though they could not commit to understanding with words, Rin knew what had to be done.

When Sesshomaru-sama came back, she would relay the message that was this discontent – that shadows had come back, to watch the wall. The promise of danger quickened her blood – and then she saw a shattering go up in blue and fragrant light, exploding with soundless menace.

There were words, though she could not hear them; an ancient request, answered by the power that Rin had known as guardian as long as she had known this place. It was a guardian that had been placed against trespass by those not bound to the land and its promise.

It was a guardian with one fatal flaw, for neither Sesshomaru nor his father had been the ones to lay that power down; to capture it; to steady it in the earth.

The fortress had been the Dragonlord's fortress, and it was to the Dragonlord's blood that the power had first been bound.

Rin felt the danger peak in moment of crisis and leapt immediately for the stairs, ran down, down, down into the courtyard, calling for Sesshomaru the whole while, though she knew even he would not be able to hear her, as far away as he was.

"Sesshomaru-sama – Sesshomaru-sama!"

She thought of Shippou, asleep in bed, and prayed that he would hear her. He was young and almost as powerless as she was – she knew that. But he was _youkai – _Kitsune. He had been showing her tricks of power as he practiced for weeks, now; she knew that he could do what needed to be done.

_Sesshomaru-sama, Sesshomaru-sama, Rin is afraid – _

"_**Sesshomaru-sama!"**_

Claws came down out of the sky; she heard a female laughing, the sound dark and vibrant. Rin turned and twisted as best she could, dodging, squirming in the arms that grabbed her regardless. She dug her little nails into pristine youkai skin and yowled like a tortured cat; she saw wings, a great shadow raising over her, and called out one last time for Sesshomaru, scrabbling at her captor.

The Dragon that held her – she could see it was a Dragon now – tried to sling her over his shoulder, turning to laugh, to speak to someone that stood behind him.

Taking a last chance, Rin grabbed at the trio of shiny golden rings in his ear and ripped them from the flesh in the same moment that she bit the fingers sprawled across her face to the bone.

An unearthly shriek shattered the night, and then a heavy hand drew back and crashed across Rin's face. Her head lolled, unconscious.

From the window where he had been watching for a frozen minute, Shippou stared in horror – and then leapt back from the window and ran down the stairs and out the door, as fast as his legs could carry him.

Kagome, worn by her efforts, having pushed the endurance of even youkai stamina, broke down into tears. She would have done anyway. Sango had been more than a friend, had been like a sister - and this on top of three deaths in the last hour, after she had done so well.

Sesshomaru stared down at her, one hand tight on the hilt of his sword, and the other just as tight in a fist at his side. What could he do? Here at last, it appeared, was an enemy he could not fight; an enemy that had never concerned him. He did not know, as Kagome did, the cause of the disease that was killing her friends; he didn't know that epidemics of this plague would cast down empires and infrastructures the world over – that it had blackened doorways with its terrible presence for hundreds of years...and would, for hundreds more.

Kagome knew, but she had never thought to be confronted by such a terrible truth. Could it really happen this way? After so much work to gain happiness, and so close to the wedding -

Beside her, staring down at her, Sesshomaru felt a flood of unusual feelings and examined them closely, with as much detachment as he could manage. Concern; that was for Kagome, confronted by so many terrible things. Anger – for the woman, Sango. How dare she die, and grieve Kagome so? Irritation, and more anger, and _helplessness_ – and fury, because of that. Because he could do nothing, nothing to help her – except maybe – _maybe_ -

He turned his eyes downward to the sword in his fist, pulsing, hot in his hand. He often found himself with a hand on the hilt of his sword while he was thinking; it was habit. It was _not_ habit for his hand to find Tenseiga.

_...Interesting. And what will you do, sword? If I save this woman, will she return to life in the grips of her illness, just to die again?_

As if in answer to his thoughts, light blazed blue in his hands, and Kagome turned to him, wary hope in her face. She had seen this happen once before, and had been disappointed – but not this time. Sesshomaru made two swift movements with Tenseiga, blurred slashes of blue in the air, and Kagome saw Sango's eyes blink open wide; she took a deep, startled breath, coughed.

"Sango!"

Almost immediately, her eyes closed again, but Kagome was not worried. Her breathing was regular and even, the breathing of a sleeper, not a death rasp, not punctuated by that terrible, gruesome rattle; her skin had lost its blotchy coloration, and the ugly black buboes that had disfigured her were fading away faster than a bad dream.

Half in awe, Kagome turned to her mate and stared at his sword.

"Sesshomaru – that sword...that _power -_"

He stared at her impassively.

"It was my father's gift to me. I never understood why I might need it, until I found Rin - and then you."

To his lasting surprise, Kagome reached out a hand for his sword and lay her fingers on the hilt. She spoke low and lovingly.

"Thank you, Tenseiga."

The sword sang in response.

That night, there were three other cries of disbelief and pleasure; three other families restored, made whole by Sesshomaru's hand. He was careful to warn them – each of them – that this was a power that could only be used once.

For Rin, he had traversed the underworld, had stepped past the threshold of death and into hell. For these he would make no such sacrifice, take no such risk.

None of them could do anything but thank him; after all, who would hope for such a miracle twice?

In the calm that followed, the time of deep breaths, Sesshomaru went to Kaede and told her he was taking Kagome away – for a little while. For her to sleep – for her to rest.

Shippou ran for hours, spurred by fear. He remembered the pain that had been inflicted on him by Inuyasha all too well, and he knew that he was no match for any of the Dragons who had taken Rin. _Her_ bravery astonished him – the way she had fought them, biting, kicking, clawing – she had even torn the earrings from one of them.

But she was a little human girl, weaker than he was even if she was braver – how _humiliating_ – and they had _taken_ her. Taken her!

She had screamed one thing over and over, one thing only -

"_Sesshomaru-sama!_"

His ears were still echoing with it, though he had known that Sesshomaru and Kagome were much too far away to hear.

But he knew the way to Edo; he could follow Kagome's scent.

Faithfully, he was carrying Rin's message.

_Sesshomaru-sama!_

* * *

A/N: Well, well, long time no see! And no, behold, this fic is not abandoned! Just...I got eaten alive by alpha :p And then oneshots. And then Alpha. BUT! Ku went all whip-cracky at me, and got me started again – and then some other peoples also got whip-cracky at me and kept me going...so...This One's For You, Whip-Crackers! Long May You Live!

Please Review!


	40. XL: One Stolen, One Lost

XL

The Stolen and The Lost

* * *

Sesshomaru was eager to get out of the village, and succeeded in pulling Kagome out of Edo and into the forest before she was able to extricate herself and get his attention, though she berated him all the way. She did not want to leave Sango – _the woman is fine_. Miroku and Kaede still have so many patients – _they can manage for a single day; you need to rest_. Jaken was returning in less than twelve hours with medicines – _Kaede can take them from him; I instructed her to do so._

"But Sesshomaru – Sesshomaru, stop! We can't just go like this! _We_ can't carry the sickness, but our clothes, my bag – anything and everything we brought with us -"

_That_ got through. Sesshomaru stopped dead, froze in place, and then turned to stare at her.

"What must we do?"

"We'll have to wash. Twice. At least. The clothes will have to be burned; everything we've got on, and nothing we brought with us should go back with us. I'll leave my bag in the village – it'll have to wait until...until...well, until we can be sure any germs have died. "

He stared at her blankly; Kagome shook her head.

"Of course...you have no idea what I'm talking about. Well, com on – we have to go back. We can't do anything here – what are we going to do, boil water in thin air and run back stark naked?"

He actually paused for a moment, considering that. There were many benefits he could think of to that situation...

Her finger poked his shoulder.

"Your thoughts are showing, Sesshomaru. Be good. We go back. And then _you_ will have to wait while _I_ go get clothes from home. Because I can boil and borrow something of Sango's, but _none _of the villagers have anything that would fit you, even if you would consent to wear it."

Sesshomaru looked mildly horrified at the prospects of many more hours in that village, especially if several of them would be without Kagome – and it occurred to him that there was no guarantee that anything in Edo was safe from contamination.

"This is unnecessary, Kagome, and does not eliminate all risk. Instead, we will go home; servants will bring out curtains and garments. We will bathe and change, and _these_ things can be burned there. I will _not_ go back to the village."

She stared, silent for a moment, and then nodded. She had known that he would rather scour _himself_ with boiling water than risk that sickness touching Rin. If this extra vulnerability had occurred to him he would never have allowed Kagome to go – would never have gone himself. She contented herself with the knowledge that he had – that he had helped her more than she ever would have dared hope for.

But Sesshomaru was soon to regret leaving even more than he already did.

He ran with Kagome at his side now, moving quickly but not pressing her to any great speed. There was a tingle in the earth, a pressure of power at loose ends that disturbed him slightly, but it was not the ambush of sleeping death that threatened danger to those under his protection, and he was not worried.

They reached the halfway point in only a few hours, and Sesshomaru considered pausing for a moment and bringing Kagome aside to hunt; the forest was suddenly rich around them with prey scents, the smells of rich blood stampeding through the undergrowth -

And then he did pause, for among those many frightened, fleeing odors was a single scent that was familiar; beside him, Kagome had stopped in the same moment, sensing the same thing.

_This_ scent, she was as sensitive to as he was.

"Shippou – he's...coming toward us. But -"

She left the _why_ unspoken, and instead turned and darted towards the kit's oncoming presence. In a moment, he was audible – his voice was ragged in its loudness, as if he had been shouting for some time.

"Sesshomaru-sama...'kaa-san! Sesshomaru...sama..."

For a moment, the cries went quiet – and then Shippou came into view, a white seagull easily identified by the youki emanating from him in exhausted waves.

"Shippou! Shippou, what are you doing out here all by yourself!"

Kagome's voice was stern as she reached him, and lifted up her hands for him to drop into; Shippou fell at once, relief on his face, and transformed into his usual humanoid shape on the way down.

"'Kaa-san, Sesshomaru-sama – they took her! They took Rin!"

In a single, blistered moment, Sesshomaru's eyes grew wide and feral. His voice was a thunder of growls and fury.

"Who? Who took her..."

And Shippou panted out his tale through heaving breaths and sobs. Told of a sudden flux of youki that had woken him; of Rin's screams, that had shattered his grogginess; of the girl, fighting against her captors –

The kit lifted one hand to Sesshomaru, and Kagome blanched at the sight of bloody flesh and a glimmer of gold.

"The one who was took her was wearing these, Sesshomaru-sama. She _took_ them from him – and he left 'em behind."

Shippou's smile was sharp and precious; Sesshomaru snagged the scent from the air, and then lifted the kit and pressed him into Kagome's hands.

"Take him back to the village -"

"I will leave him with Sango!"

And she was gone before he could protest at her not to return – to leave this vengeance to him – to flee this danger -

But he shut the thoughts away and turned his attention to the scent Shippou had brought him – a Dragon scent, a scent of blood and death.

* * *

Kagome returned to the village in a rush – so much so that neither Miroku nor Kaede had had a chance to react to the approaching demon presence. In a babble of words she spilled out the story that Shippou had told, all her instincts pushing her in another direction. She stared into the distance when she had done speaking, her eyes searching after

"You have youkai senses now. What do they tell you?"

Kagome closed her eyes, seeking. The scents of earth came to her, green growing things and the exhalations of flower perfumes, scent of friend, scent of child, scent of friend – scent of mate? Beneath Sesshomaru's scent was a throat-strangling smell of rot, light as ashes.

"I smell death…and Sesshomaru is following it, so I will follow him. Shippou, you stay with Sango and Miroku, do you hear? You have had enough adventure for a while."

She turned and darted out across the village path and up into the edge of the trees; then she was gone, reduced to a whisper of presence. Sango looked down at Shippou, and saw his eyes straining after his mother, muscles trembling with the urge to follow her.

"Miroku…she may need help."

"Help? You suggest that we help Sesshomaru? He came here for Kagome's sake, Sango. He does not love us."

"He loves that girl…and sometimes I would swear he loves Kagome. But I did not say we were going to help _him_, now did I?"

"Sango – are you sure you feel up to -"

"I feel better than I ever have!"

Her eyes were glinting as she smiled, and her fingers reached out and stroked the smooth surface of Hiraikotsu, then swept it up onto her back. She was running after Kagome, calling for Kirara, before Miroku could utter another word, and she called back to him over her shoulder.

"Are you coming, Miroku?"

Grumbling, he gripped his new staff tightly and chased after her. Shippou watched them go, wishing he could follow, that he was automatically included as he had been in the past -

Kagome's words repeated themselves in his head.

Swiftly he was running too, a wide grin spreading across his face, and he caught up to Miroku and began to pass him by, leaping gleefully on every fifth step.

"Shippou! Kagome said _no more adventure!_"

"She _said_ I had to stay with you and Sango! Are you going back?"

Miroku rolled his eyes, but Shippou was content with his loophole and did not give it a second thought. The grain-heavy heads of grass waved around them, tilting gently in the breeze. Shippou caught up to Kirara, transformed and took flight; in a few moments, Miroku was alone on the ground, running behind them, following the tug of newly familiar youki.

_Be careful, Kagome...we're coming!_

* * *

In the extra darkness of the wood, beneath a canopy of falling leaves, Sesshomaru exerted all his skills so that he would not be noticed by those who had taken Rin captive. The scent trail had led him in a glistening wound around a grove of white pine; he could smell Rin's fear and the salt of her tears riding on the sharp odor of the trees, and the scents fanned the bright flame of his anger.

He saw his enemy, and anger turned to rage. Should he have suspected, been more wary, after so much time? These Dragons had grown bold indeed, to take Rin from him. He watched them build a fire, laughing amongst themselves, many returned to a more human shape now that they thought they had escaped conflict.

Sesshomaru circled them silently, looking for weapons and cautiousness. Thirty Dragons wandered around the fire, dark skinned and light, green, black, and golden haired, but all with the same shimmering, dusky-scaled wings, luminous in the firelight when they opened.

Above, he saw several pass by in great Dragon shape; a dozen, and one – larger, stronger, a flickering presence of youki that beat at Sesshomaru with a presence he could almost...

His fist clenched tight around the _token _Shippou had given him.

_That one. That one is the one who dared to take Rin._

Sesshomaru's senses tingled just as he tensed – and then he slid away from the grove, and met Kagome as she approached, silencing her with a hand across her mouth before she could say a word that might betray them.

He spoke a breath above silence, just by her ear.

"Quietly, Kagome. We are not so far from our enemy as I would like. Rin is not harmed – they have bound her and left her alone. They build fires, and prepare to take down trees for more wood – can you smell their meat?"

A smile he had never seen on her face before distracted him with untimely thoughts – by the gods, he _wanted_ her! – and she lifted her face to the wind, catching the afternoon rays of sunlight on her face.

"Do you think they are overconfident, mate, or merely fools?"

His eyebrows jumped in surprise.

"These words, from you?"

Her laughter was lower than usual, tingling in his ears.

"I am not always so much the miko as you might think, Sesshomaru. You never witnessed the days when I wanted blood and vengeance; don't forget, I wasn't born to this time – I wasn't born to purity. I won't forgive anyone who hurts our children."

He growled for her, a low rumbling of approving sound that drew her into his arms. He nuzzled at his mark on her, watching around them with red eyes, drawing power to himself. Her scent tugged at him, encouraging his earlier desire, and he turned his glance down at her, the panting gaze she searched the woodlands with, the parting of her lips, the depth of her breaths.

He recognized the rising of the Inu inside her, and despite his desire he made a decision based on her inexperience, with the full pressure of their opponent's youki layered down over him. In that moment, all the years of her travels and battles at his brother's side fled his memory; all he could see in his mind's eye was the travesty of a fight she had put up against his mother.

"I will go now, and kill them. Wait for me here - I will not be long."

"Wait for you? I did not come here to wait, I came to fight!"

Her eyes were glaring, bright and full of darkness.

"You did not bring your bow, mate, and I have no sword for you here."

"I have claws now, claws that have a miko death in them. You know that – don't try to stop me!"

She was snarling, her expression bestial, true youkai; in that moment he could not deny her.

_I thought she was human; I thought she would not survive. Is there anything about her that will ever fulfill my assumptions?_

"Follow me, then - but you must be more silent than the wind."

The dragons were still at their various works, paying no attention to their boundaries – they had not even posted sentries, other than their sky-bound companions, but there were still many of them, and Sesshomaru had noted the glint of steel at more than one waist.

Suddenly, calmly, with Kagome at his side, Sesshomaru strode into their midst and looked for the House mark of a lord. Failing, as he knew he would fail – only the greater power that flew above them could belong to a lord - he spoke to the group at large, who stood staring in surprise, struck dumb by his audacity.

"Where is your lord? Who has taken what is mine?"

His eyes silenced Rin as she strained against her bindings, eyes bright with happiness.

Sesshomaru was met by silence and staring, and a great splash of air washed around the grove, shaking the trees. It was powerful wing beats, as behind him, a great Dragon shadow resolved into a winged human shape.

"So, you are lord of this rabble?"

The words slipped from Sesshomaru's tongue easily, sheathed in disgust.

"I am Tatsuya; I am a lord of the Silent House, in service to the Dragonlord, and I do not answer to _you_, Inu."

The Dragon's eyes flickered around the grove, counting, testing; he saw only his own support, and Sesshomaru standing alone with a single female beside him.

His eyes paused on Kagome for only a moment, considering; tales of her power had spread far and wide, but he had not yet seen violence from her and decided that there was nothing to fear. Sesshomaru spoke then, drawing the Dragon's eyes back to himself.

"These are _my_ lands, and you do not belong here. Give me my daughter, and I will make your death easy."

A smile parted his opponents lips, and with shuddering swiftness he drove towards Sesshomaru, reaching with the keen edge of a swift-drawn sword. Sesshomaru dodged to one side; sheer momentum sent his foe's sword screaming through the heart of another Dragon.

Abruptly, the grove became a whirlwind of spinning blades and rushing steel, all seeking Sesshomaru's life. The clatter and whine rose in pitch and tension until the air whistled in pain. Kagome dove in amidst the wounded and the dead, following Sesshomaru's path of anger with sparkling violet energy as he forced open a path to Rin through Dragon flesh.

The throb of bloodlust ran like an old song in her veins, but brighter; aftershocks from the lives she stole rippled over her skin like water. Blood splashed the trees, shone redder than its true color in the light of the sinking sun, and here and there the pink flashes of her power burned themselves out through opened veins, leaving shimmering dust behind, or nothing.

She could see the numbers dwindling around them, what had been a group of thirty or forty cut down to barely a dozen, and perhaps another dozen screeching violence from the sky. She saw the last few clustered in a tight-backed circle at the edge of the grove, preparing to charge, and ran forward towards the girl still bound by the central campfire.

At that moment Sesshomaru caught her eye.

"Kagome! Take Rin and go."

"I won't leave you here!"

She was almost ready to laugh, seeing him prepared to cast himself against a dozen of the enemy, alone, and only a slender fillet of steel standing between himself and death. He was strength and power and she knew it – but against foes like these her own power was more deadly still.

Sesshomaru saw her indecision, her denial, her thoughts plain on her face. He did not give her a chance to speak against him.

"I will be safe - Rin is not! You will take her, and go."

Youki flared impressively around his skin, moving toward her. It was easier for her to obey this time, feeling his power awaken an echo in her blood, the bond that bound them driving her, the taste of enemy blood in the air lighter on her tongue with this reinforcement of _who she was_.

_I am the mate of Sesshomaru, I am the Lady of the West – I am...I am...Higurashi Kagome, and I am - _

_**Inu.**_

Her senses opened wide to the evening's frolic. Everywhere was blood; the frothy mud, the splash of green leaves half-reddened, the taste of the air, the licking tongue of fire in its circle of rocks made dumb by splashes of crimson and soil, entrails scattered from corpses, and dull, dead eyes.

Alone, untouched, sitting in silence beside the fire, Rin crouched wide-eyed but unafraid now, watching Sesshomaru with fierce pride.

A single flickering of claws cut the rope holding her like thread, and Kagome caught the girl up in both arms, running for the open forest and the freedom of trees, obeying Sesshomaru's command.

Even as she ran, the ripeness of Sesshomaru's blood joined the rich symphony of enemy scents, and Rin cried out loud, watching the battle from over Kagome's shoulder. With barely a second thought, Kagome dropped the girl, tucked her into a wavering growth of downy brush.

"Wait here, Rin. I can't just – I can't just _leave_ him!"

Her eyes were wrenched back over her shoulder against her will; she saw a gold shimmer growing in the air around Sesshomaru, a dangerous pressure getting larger by the moment.

"If – if something happens – if there is – _trouble_ – run for the village, Rin. Run for Edo!"

Kagome sprang back to Sesshomaru's side.

* * *

"I told you to go, to protect the girl! Why are you still here, mate?"

Sesshomaru's words came out twisted, modulated by the effort of speaking between sword thrusts and dodging claws.

"Mate, you say? _Mate_? Why, if you will always be yours and never mine?"

He grinned at her, a stretching Inu smile. From his throat ripped a terrible howl; Sesshomaru felt submission coming, the blaze in his blood awakened beyond the bounds of his skin to control it. One moment he was fighting, and the next he was swept up in the extraordinary change, the pulse of fire and blood, sea and sky, the gold and the red ruptured in his blood.

Not so mighty as his father-that-had-been, Sesshomaru still was worthy of awe and fear, half the size again of his Changed dragon foes, and he bloodied giant silver paws and gleaming white fangs with dark, steaming blood as they began to land around him.

To Kagome, the wind she felt was beyond all intimacy, closeness without definition or limitation, and his eyes were aureate and amber, pressing on her to _know._

Knowing, her entire world was changed. Her memories of him came into clearer focus, temptations resolving themselves into gifts.

Beyond him, even as she moved, she saw a foe wielding a black blade. In slow motion she saw it plunging, heard the Dragon cry and watched the whirl of death that was Sesshomaru. He was too large in this shape to avoid the blade completely, but it scored only a shallow wound against his flank. His teeth clamped tight in rubber-taut veins and shook, and shook, and shook.

A plume of death sprayed outward, taunting, as though the carnage could be added to.

Further danger was a feeling before it was a scent, and Kagome turned too slowly to aid him, could only watch parallel wounds open across Sesshomaru's great furred back, darkening the silver shine to a deadly crimson. Poisonous _dokkasou _dripped from his jaws as he snarled in pain; his eyes grew a moon-shadowed glow as he turned to face his enemy; Tatsuya, a lord of the Silent House. Tatsuya, a Dragon of the ancient blood; Tatsuya, whom he recognized now, even in the rush of the Inu.

Tatsuya, a son of Ryuukotsusei.

_So, that feud, too, is lit anew..._

"Sesshomaru!"

Kagome paid for her warning when a flailing set of claws thrashed into her flesh, startling the breath from her body and drawing blood. Without thinking, she turned to face slate-colored eyes and flung the power of her blood into them, blinding before the burning settled and brought death.

To her left was a flash of steel; suddenly, silencing that foe, there was a _whoosh_ as a heavy bbone oomerang spun past Kagome's shoulder, followed by laughter and a familiar scent.

"Sango!"

The _taijiya_ grinned at her from her place on Kirara's back, and held out a hand to catch Hiraikotsu as it returned to her. Neither female noticed Shippou drop lightly down from Kirara to the ground and go scurrying into the brush.

"I didn't have to wait too long to repay you after all, Kagome! Who are these; why are we fighting them?"

"Dragons! They stole Rin -"

But she fell silent almost at once, listening.

They could hear Sesshomaru cutting a swathe of death through the forest, following after his Dragon foe. The others, confronted by a demon slayer and a once-Dragon miko of their own blood, fled. Momentarily, there were none left to retreat, and silence fell. From out of the thick brush where the forest began, Shippou crept, holding Rin's hand.

Kagome stood at the very edge of the grove, listening, and Sango's hands and the tenseness of her body held the two children back when they made to run towards her.

"Shippou, is Sesshomaru-sama coming back soon?"

Rin's whisper prompted Shippou to motion for silence; he had seen the leaning, listening, hungry look Kagome bore on youkai faces before - but only in times of danger.

"Shhh…"

In the silence, the crack of twigs and the slush of motion through the underbrush was louder than thunder. Human in his shape now, Sesshomaru stepped forward, black with blood. A venomous smell rose from his wounds, thick...sharp...pungent.

Kagome couldn't believe she was seeing him this way; the wounds that had been inflicted on him were horrific, scaled down to this smaller shape – but they were already closing. That was not the worst of it.

A darker smell than poison clung to him; she knew it for what it was and terror grasped at the roots of her hair. He came close to her, and sank down onto his knees, and she had to move very quickly so that when he fell, he fell into her lap and not onto the broken ground.

Her hands moved to cut open her veins, seeking the healing power that had saved Shippou - but he caught them and shook his head.

"Not enough...time. It seems even I...cannot fight shadows. I ...failed, mate. Take Rin – go. _Go_."

His eyes blinked slowly and she felt his pulse go dim and thready beneath her fingers.

"No! No, _no, __**no**_**!**"

_You do love him, but you don't even know it, do you?_

Inexplicably, she heard Kouga's words in her thoughts, sharp, edged, dangerous, riding over the hoarse tones of Sesshomaru's voice. They had meant nothing to her before, but now – _now -_

_No oh no oh nonononononono - _

She could have cried, realizing now, too late, the terror that was her own love.

But she was Inu now, youkai, and the severing of the bond with her mate was a torment all its own. The beast inside her was not about to let him die unavenged.

Laughter preceded the reappearance of Tatsuya, a vicious and victorious sound. He bore a stone knife with a black-smeared blade; it smoked in his hand, the stone turning brittle and sloughing away, so intense was the venom.

Claws outstretched, she turned to face the one who had struck down her mate.

"You – you are a daughter of Dragons, too good for this mutt. Return with me to your family, Hime-sama."

She stared at him in silence with haunted eyes; she looked like a vengeful ghost, like the demon-spirits that haunt the unburied hundreds of the great battlefields.

Red stained her pale kimono, streaked it from shoulders to sleeves, sleeves to hem. Her hair hung in long, clotted strands that swung back and forth in front of her bloody gaze, twitching as she turned her head, snarling in every direction, at anything that moved, and then turning back to fixate on Tatsuya.

Suddenly, he was uneasy. This Inu – this _miko –_ she was kin to the one who had sent him here, kin to Eldest herself. He had made his move thinking that she would not care, that she would not strike against her kin -

Had made his move thinking that she was a stolen _hime_, and not a willing bride.

He had been wrong.

Her voice struck out at him, an edge as brittle and sharp as his knife in it, a more potent venom still.

He heard heard her speak, and knew he was about to die.

"_**You**_..."

Threads of power erupted from her flesh in waves of fury. Kagome lifted a single, shaking hand to point at her foe.

* * *

Moments too late to be of help to anyone, Miroku crashed through the brush – and stopped at the edge of words with his mouth open, watching Kagome as her power burst free. He had never seen such a display before, had not expected this potential in her, though he should have – for it was not the glowing, lavender power of of her purity, but a silvergold flux of youki that shot from her hands and settled on her foe.

A scream in six blistered octaves broke out of his throat; Kagome howled loud enough to match him. Blood lifted from his skin as flesh shredded and burned under the pressure of raw, unfocused rage. Waves of anger, of pain, beat at Miroku's finer senses; wind whipped up the grass, screamed through the trees. With a gurgling cry, Tatsuya gave up his life, and in the next moment all was quiet, a stillness as total as the violence that had been.

Miroku stared, brought to his knees by what he had witnessed and still unaware of that fact. His eyes scanned the chaos that was smeared across the world in front of him; the battlefield was a bloodbath. Crimson mud had been gouged up in great rivets from the blistered earth, and wherever youkai blood had been spilled and Kagome's had power touched it, the grass, the trees, and the ground itself had been purified into smoking ruins. He recognized the signs – he had seen them often enough before.

The rest, though...

Some few bodies of the dead lay scattered like broken dolls on a madman's playground, Tatsuya's prominent among them. Over everything was a glittering wash of dust that blew about lightly in the wind, and the static embrace of Kagome's lingering youki

It was behind Kagome's stalking, suddenly protective stance that the greatest horror lay, and Miroku stared, utterly confused, unblinking – this was just _not possible_.

_Sesshomaru_ was..._dead_.

He saw Sango slumped in defeat, her shoulders shaking with sobs; beside her, Rin was straining at Shippou's hold, and Miroku saw the moment the kit could no longer restrain her; she let out a cry, a scream more terrible even than the one that had come from Kagome.

None of them could restrain her, despite the potential of danger from Kagome in a mindless rage. With a flailing of limbs, Rin broke free and rushed to Sesshomaru's side, pressed her hands against his body, against the bloody wounds that had been opened across his chest – deep, not that horrible, but stained with the black and viscous venom Tatsuya's blade had borne.

Miroku glared at it in disgust; it went against everything in him that was a warrior, to see such a powerful man – _being_ – laid low by such treachery.

_Treachery_.

The black poison had overpowered even the immunity wrought by _dokkasou_. It would have to be Dragon poison, the specialty of the Silent House.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshomaru-sama! Do not leave Rin alone – Sesshomaru-sama!"

Seeing that the moment of terror had passed, that only agony was left, Miroku stepped forward. He spoke Kagome's name, hollow and concerned.

"Kagome?"

She turned quickly and crouched over Sesshomaru's body, baring her fangs under demon-red eyes. Miroku knelt in front of her cautiously. For the first time since he had made the decision to accept Kagome as the demon she was now, he looked the fire and fury of her youkai nature in the face – and saw his friend, newly broken, and after so much recent pain.

_Kagome...Kagome, why is it you who always seems to suffer the most?_

Hope left him as he took in the blank gaze of the Daiyoukai on the ground.

"Oh Kagome…"

For a moment, a single, splendid moment, Miroku's eyes focused on the shikon no tama as it swung loose around Kagome's throat. The pink surface, shining serenely even now – it taunted him with its promise. A wish formed in his heart and in his mind; it was _there_, right there...he could see it all happening in his thoughts – there would be a wave of light and power, and then Sesshomaru would breathe again, sit up and _be_ again -

Kagome moved, and the shikon no tama twisted against her chest. It displayed its other half to Miroku – and it was red, streaked with blood that was drying to brown on the shimmering pink surface. He swallowed convulsively.

_It would be a selfish wish. It would overturn the will of the gods and the fate to which the Buddha said all men must succumb. It would cause bloodshed and violence and a tainted power would be set free upon the land._

He spoke quietly, tempted for the first time by the thrum of that enormous power.

"Kagome, you would never forgive me. _You_."

It was enough.

He sat back, and crossed his legs, and lay his staff to rest at his side.

Beneath Miroku's calm scrutiny, with no threat around her to sustain it, the angry energy Kagome had been depending on to control her grief faded away, and she crumpled to the ground, sobbing brokenly. Her breath rushed from her in a pained exhalation, and Miroku pulled her gently into his arms, stroking her hair as she would have a child's.

"It will...it will be all right, Kagome. Somehow – we'll make it all right."

Kagome's eyes searched among the corpses, and lit on Shippou and Rin; half of cry pulled itself out of her throat, and she turned and reached out across Sesshomaru's body, drawing the kit and the girl to herself. Shippou came quickly into her arms, snuggled close to her body.

Rin stood quietly, tears streaming down her face, her eyes unfocused with guilt and memory.

* * *

Rin was remembering the dim and quiet and days of her furthest youth – and the days that had come after them; the days of pain. Then – then had come the day that would forever stand out to her – the day she would always remember as _The Day Of The Wolves_.

If not for the fact that she had spent nearly every day in his presence, it would have been the _Day of Sesshomaru-sama_.

_Sesshomaru-sama saved me._

Instead, she had been granted the gift of giving him the meager service of her life – oh, how terrible, if he should leave her now and leave her alone – so soon after – so soon after -

_Sesshomaru-sama saved me and made me his daughter._

It was all so clear in her mind, so clear and so horrible now that it was over -

_Sesshomaru-sama saved me._

She remembered dying, remembered that sharp pain, not sudden at all because she had gone into the woods where good little girls didn't go and she wasn't a good little girl anyway – and oh, _oh_ if _only_ the beautiful white man would find her, wouldn't everything be all right then?

It would be so nice to look at something beautiful when she died. For in truth Sesshomaru was the most beautiful person she had ever seen, with the most beautiful _things_ – his pelt, so soft-looking, so white and clean...and all his clothes, so brilliant and white – and his hair, so long, so silver-shining.

She had known that she should be afraid, for nothing so beautiful could possibly want anything to do with _her_, not _her_, not little-filthy-orphan-thief-girl-get-away-get-_get_-.

No, not her.

And she had been right just like she had known, and it hadn't hurt her at all – or not much, not really – when he had rejected her offer of fish and mushrooms; had rejected her. She wouldn't even have offered, because the fish was a day or two past its best and the mushrooms were, frankly, questionable...She had just been so hungry, and they had the shape of something she knew was edible. It was just that by then, peering from the bushes, she had seen the blood and known that he was injured.

It had fascinated her for the longest time – the dark crimson edges of the flowing, growing stain. It was pretty, precise, somehow right against the pristine flowing white.

As if it was, not a stain, but a perfect accent to a perfect being.

Later – much later, two or three days later, when The Day Of The Wolves was upon her, and had run over her with its panic and its horrors – later, when he sheathed his sword, and leaned down to pick her up, she had been so mortified that her _dirtiness_ would touch that white, white, silk, that white, white skin...

_When he sheathed his sword, and leaned down to pick me up._

_When he sheathed his sword._

As if she had been jolted with an electric shock, two thoughts collided in her brain with the merest wisp of memory; the first moment in which she had opened her eyes to her restored life. There had been...a blue glow. A steel gleam.

And then a breath – painful, knives in her lungs that had let her know she was really alive again.

The thoughts wandered for a moment with that memory before she _knew_.

_Sesshomaru saved me – with his sword!_

She raced forward then, her arm outstretched, and met Kagome's reaching hand accidentally; still, it didn't matter. Entangled, their fingers fell down and touched the hilt of Sesshomaru's sword. She waited for light, magic, power, booming voices – anything.

But there was nothing. Disappointed, her fingers relaxed.

Just barely, her thumb brushed against the hilt of his _other_ sword.

The _right_ sword.

Tenseiga lit brilliant and blue in response.

Her eyes went wide.

"Okaa-sama!"

* * *

A/N: Well then! I hope no one hates me...but the presence of Tenseiga means it really HAS to be used...which means people need to die. Because otherwise future threat of death has no real...hm...no KICK to it, you know? Because you and I would both know that Sesshomaru's not going to beg a meidou off his...but oh wait, Kagome has that amulet now, doesn't she? ::evil laughter:: Things are going to kick up a notch, folks. Here's a hint: it starts with W and ends with R, and isn't made by Oscar Meyer.

Please Review!


	41. XLI: Daylight Is Darkness Without You

XLI

Daylight Is Darkness Without You

* * *

With a mighty heave, Rin unsheathed Tenseiga, staring into the blue glow - but no effort of hers would lift the blade from the ground enough to wield it. Kagome's eyes cleared, focusing on the sword – on the light of hope that had restored Sango to her, the glow that had brought life back to the village.

Slowly, she stood, and walked around Sesshomaru's still body to Rin's side. She reached down, and wrapped her hands around Rin's, grasping the hilt of Tenseiga and lifting it. The flash came immediately afterward, a surge of power so great it knocked Rin back into Kagome, who rocked under the impact but stood firm, staring down at Sesshomaru with a fixed, unchanging gaze.

A strange new vision had been imparted to her by the sword; suddenly, Sesshomaru looked like he was only sleeping. No blood seeped from his cold wounds; the flush of death was brighter in his cheeks than the ivory tones of life had granted. Tenseiga pulsed again in her hand, suddenly hot, and another reeling flash stung her eyes, prickling with new tears.

Fading into existence like dust motes in the moonlight was a quintet of grotesque creatures, crawling across Sesshomaru's still body. Vaguely, she heard Rin's startled gasp – but without thinking, Kagome lashed out with the sword in her hands, so abruptly that the girl was dragged forward with her a full step. She felt Tenseiga's edge bite into the crawling _things_ as though they were something substantial; they dissolved away like mist.

Beneath her gaze, the viscid, clotted mess of Sesshomaru's wounds seemed to turn inward, closing, vanishing and leaving only the brown of old blood on his skin. There was a smoking hiss as the black venom disappeared, fading into foul-smelling, copper-accented smoke.

Kagome watched Sesshomaru's eyes open, watched his strong, pale fingers twitch, flex, and then force his claws into the earth and push on the bloody ground, bringing him upright. Rin flew at him at once and clung to his leg; Tenseiga fell to the ground as the girl tore her hands away from beneath Kagome's numb fingers.

Sesshomaru spoke then, his voice hoarse and quiet.

"Rin. You are...safe?"

"I am safe, Sesshomaru-sama, I am safe – and Sesshomaru-sama is safe too!"

It was only when his eyes turned to Kagome, lamplight gold and bright with life, that she flew at him, believing, and almost knocked him back to the ground. Sesshomaru blinked slowly, feeling agony recede like fire in his veins.

"Sesshomaru – Sesshomaru -"

It took Kagome three tries to say even his name, and then sobs broke her words open. He saw her tears with startled surprise, touched them, tasted them, bitter and salty on his tongue.

"You…are crying for me?"

Kagome drew a ragged breath and felt the words fly hot and heaving out of her control.

"Bastard! Bastard, of course I'm crying for you…"

Anger flared in her and dissolved, returned mixed with the powerful feeling that had risen unchecked to claim her the moment she had watched his eyes close, felt the dark loss of his pulse beneath her palm - the moment she had been reduced to thinking only _not again, not again the one I love_. What that meant, now that he was alive again, standing in front of her, she could barely begin to contemplate. In _this_ moment, it was anger – because he had dared, even for a moment, to leave her alone.

She gripped his torn and bloodied haori in both fists, and shook him sharply; he swayed, and she pounded at his chest with her fists, hating his pain, hating his visible weakness and how it made her angry at _herself_ – because he had just been dead, he had just been _dead_ -

"Kagome – Kagome, don't cry for me -"

She pummeled him again, saw him wince and cried harder.

"Bastard! You are _everything_ I have left –_ the only one _- you _made me love you_ – how dare you – how dare you – how dare you _die_!"

The last word was a howl that choked into silence on a sob. Kagome leaned her head forward against Sesshomaru's chest, breathed in his warm and living scent beneath the streaming odor of gore, listened to the strong, vital beating of his heart.

Kagome did not detect it, but Sesshomaru felt his heart skip and shudder in his chest.

"_You made me love you."_

Of their own volition his arms came up and wrapped around her, crushing her tight against his chest. He bent close to her and murmured against her hair.

"Don't cry – don't cry, Kagome. I am alive; I will...be more careful, next time, but please...no more tears. I...don't know what to do with them."

She giggled faintly, almost hysterically, and then closed her eyes and clutched at him as if she would never let him go.

Unnoticed, unseen, beyond even Sesshomaru's senses, a dark flood of shadows streamed out of the woods and across the bloody battlefield to the north. They picked up speed as they traveled, and as they moved further and further from the carnage, their shape became more defined, more definite.

More Dragon.

More deadly.

* * *

Mere minutes later, in a fold of rough and hilly tundra at the foot of the northern mountains, in the fortress that was _home _to the Lords of the North, shadows flickered and dimmed, bloody on the walls. In their movements, which mimicked no firelight, no dancing lamp, Kasuka watched a story play out in shades of darkness and ruby - the attack that Tatsuya had made, and his ultimate failure.

Her lips pouted momentarily in a frown, and then she let out a shriek of rage, gnashed her teeth and snarled.

The crimson shadows fled her anger, and left her alone in a dark room.

"Even with the aid of my ancestors, the aid of all that is shadow-shaped – even with my own help to breach the barrier, to let him past the power..."

Her eyes snapped and flickered, dark and sharp and mad.

"Tatsuya – you fool! You had the girl in your hands...you should have killed her when you had the chance! At least then he would be wounded, broken – at least then he would have paid a partial price!"

Wind whipped up around her, and Kasuka leapt up in a scream of power and out the wide, open window of her bedchamber. Something like a hysterical tantrum overcame her, and she worked sorcery on the wind, scales grinding and leaping out of a smaller form to bite at the ice-frosted air with growls and screams. In the shape of the Dragon inside her, the Dragon she had never given over to Kinawai's Tiger-nature, she roared and wove back and forth among the high currents of the air.

Above the clouds, flaky purple lightning burst in response to the speed and trauma of her presence. The sky continued to rage as she landed, far away now from the fortress, her _home _ - sap-sticky branches of fragrant evergreen trees were parted, swept down, and broken by her flurry of motion.

A roar in all the loudest tones of Dragon rage clawed its way out of Kasuka's throat, and then the wind was the wind of power and change, and it swept back over her and left her trembling on her knees, blood seeping from her clenched fists.

"Dead, he was dead, it was over! _Damn_ that sword! Damn that sword, and damn his miko mate!"

In her frustration, Kasuka reached into her sleeve and pulled out the mirror she had taken from beneath the mountains. For a moment, it reflected a black night alight with stars; then, as she touched it lightly with her fingers, the surface rippled and changed, began to swell and grow.

An amorphous figure of blood and power took birth from the running glass, shifted and groaned in mid-air, then settled into the shape of her Dragon kin. Tall and pale and expressionless, the one she had summoned fixed Kasuka with glacier-blue eyes. Words came - not from his throat, but she felt them like piercing, icy daggers in her brain.

"_You call, Mistress?"_

She focused her power, her thoughts, and spoke her commands in an ordered tone that belied the shifting fury of her emotions.

"Yes. We have...work to do.

_The Inu thinks he is safe, he thinks he can thwart me? He will steal my home, my birthright, the power my ancestors sealed with anguish? _

_**No.**_

"Go South; and seek out Tatsuya, the Lord of the Silent House."

"_That one is no more."_

"Yes...I know this. But the Inu will change that soon enough. He needs information. When that happens – you must be there to teach him a lesson. You must follow our servant; you must ensure he says only things that do not endanger our plans.

"We will breach all the Inu's defenses, plant seeds of fear in that cold heart. When he was alone, he was all but invulnerable."

She smiled slowly.

"Now that he is not – _well_. Tatsuya may have failed, but he has shown me that the Inu is no longer perfectly protected; that he will act, not for his honor alone, but for those he has chosen...well, well, perhaps Tatsuya was not so useless after all."

Her eyes glittered suddenly, a red so dark it was almost black.

"Make sure...he is of use to me one last time."

"_As you will it, Mistress..."_

There was a screech that held something of death within itself; a foul stench rushed in on another flux of terrible wind; the shadow rose, and changed, and took on the form of the Beast within.

A vaguely insubstantial Dragon shot off into the southwest.

Kasuka stood alone for a while, biting her lip, thinking back with more calm now on the scene she had witnessed through her mirror after she had left Tatsuya behind:

Sesshomaru's power, sweeping aside Dragons as if they were nothing. Tatsuya, bested in battle, but holding onto victory with the treachery she had prepared for him – an old poison, thick as tar, black as hell – deadly, deadly to any not party to its secret, to any not gifted with the antidote before hand.

She had made that poison with her own blood.

_All my effort, wasted! Twice, that sword has bested my intentions; it saved the hanyou and his mother – and now that the hanyou has been dealt with, it saves the elder brother!_

There was Kagome to think about, too. So far, she had seen a gentleness in Sesshomaru's new mate that had made her think the other female would be pliant, soft, non-threatening. The truth was...rather different.

_She is as deadly as her dog. More deadly. That power...that was youki like nothing I have ever experienced. Something of the Dragon remains in her, though she is Inu. Combined with miko magic...she is a formidable foe. _

_As I am._

_Still, she knows nothing of me...nor does Sesshomaru. Even if he suspects, he cannot know that I was the one who attacked him...and he does not know the truth of my nature, the secret I have kept hidden for a thousand years and more._

It was why she had chosen the son of Ryuukotsusei for this work; the one who, more than any other of her servants and allies, had a reason to attack the Inu.

His failure could not be traced back to her...

There was nothing...

Nothing...

_Good_.

* * *

Sesshomaru was quick to begin gathering up everything of importance so they could vacate the battlefield. The first thing to come to hand, once Kagome was able to let go of him, was Tenseiga; he stared at the sword, dull and silent now, and contemplated the power to which he now owed his own life.

It was a demon weapon, full of powerful youki – some his father's and some _other_. It had never, since the day it had come to him, ever worked in another hand but his. Even his mother could not make Tenseiga work its magic – and he had let her try, once, when one of her favored females had been killed.

He had thought for some time - though he had not tested his theory - that Tetsusaiga would transform for Kagome now; Tetsusaiga, which had long ago recognized her as one of those it had been made to protect. But this...he had _never_ expected _this_. Even if Kagome – as his mate, as a miko – had something special about her, something that would allow her to access the hidden power...what of Rin? What was it that had let a little human girl reach past the borders of death and tug at his soul?

It was a reversal of a vanished moment; he would remember forever the tear streaked eyes, mismatched with her childish face, inhuman but not youkai, looking down at him with eager joy as he breathed.

Merely...breathed.

It was a moment as poignant as Kagome's confession of love.

_Is it because Rin, too, has died? Is it more of that strangeness which let her wander at the borders of the world under the Ink? Or...is it something else?_

He felt clearly within himself the place where soul and body came together, felt as if it were happening again the raw, stretched_ sting_ of returning to his recently vacated flesh.

_How did it happen? What is it that let them use Tenseiga, when no hands but mine and my father's have ever been able to call that power forth?_

Just as the thought passed through Sesshomaru's mind, there was a crash and grunting in the undergrowth. Scenes of new carnage evoked themselves in his head, and he stood on guard, pushing Kagome slightly behind him - and then stared, nonplussed, as a grumbling, familiar sword smith shoved his way through the foliage.

"What a mess! What happened - what am I doing _here_? These aren't Inu parts... You stupid cow, this must be entirely the wrong direction...oh! Is that a Dragon eye? Hmm..."

Apparently unconcerned with – or unaware of – the small group of battle weary companions watching him, Totosai dismounted from Momo and hobbled over to peer at what was, indeed, a lone Dragon eye, clouded with death at the edge of the greater part of the destruction.

"Oh, and in such good shape, too...my, what a lucky find!"

He lifted the eye triumphantly, but his moment was short-lived. A voice that he had never been fond of hearing spoke up from behind him.

"Totosai. What are you doing in this place? Why have you come here?"

Totosai turned slowly to face Sesshomaru, chuckling halfheartedly under his breath.

"Ehe..hehe...well, now...fancy meeting you here..._of course it explains the nasty mess_..."

There was a light in his eyes that made Sesshomaru suspicious; this moment was far too strange, this meeting far too _convenient_ to be mere chance. He chose dry sarcasm as the most appropriate response; he was too exhausted, too keyed up on caution for anything else.

"Indeed. An interesting_ chance_, old one."

Totosai bristled at that.

"_Old one_? No respect, that's your problem – no respect for your elders and betters -"

Sesshomaru growled quietly at that, and Totosai desisted, sensing that anything else would be...bad for his health.

Without further prelude, Sesshomaru picked up Tenseiga and held it out in the old smith's direction. There was no other reason for his presence, no other conclusion to be made – and Sesshomaru _would have answers_.

"It is long past time for you to explain this blade to me, Totosai. Something is..._wrong_ with it."

Squinting, rubbing his chin with his hand, Totosai peered up at Sesshomaru and inched slightly closer. With a sudden, snatching movement, he grabbed Tenseiga and brought the blade close to his eyes, crooned at it softly while he peered at the metal.

"Well, well, my beauty, been doing something naughty, have you..."

The tone of his voice and the limber stroking of his wrinkled fingers on the smooth length of Tenseiga's blade made Sesshomaru shudder.

He was suddenly certain that he would never be able to leave any weapon of his with Totosai unattended ever again.

"Speak, now! I have no time for foolishness, Totosai!"

Scowling, Totosai squelched another step closer to Sesshomaru and peered up at him, poked him – and then poked him again, more roughly, with his hammer.

"You're really _alive_ – huh, more's the pity...so who's the lucky lady, then?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed sharply, and he reached out and snatched Tenseiga back from the old smith. The blaze of an impending eruption of violence shone scarlet in his eyes

"You _intended_ to come here, didn't you? And you thought to find me dead. What -"

"Simmer down, simmer down! I felt the power of that sword from miles away! The little beauty has been active the last few days, and that was strange enough – but not more than an hour ago there was silence, so I came hurrying along."

Sesshomaru's voice came out as a poorly restrained growl.

"You can sense Tenseiga's power? You were coming to _it_?"

Totosai backed away a single step, a sheepish expression on his face.

"Actually I was coming because you were dead. Didn't expect anyone else would actually be able to _use _the sword on you, you see...and your father left strict instructions I wasn't to leave it laying about if you died without an heir - _too good to be true, I knew it –_

Sesshomaru snapped at that.

"My heirs and the artifacts of my ancestry are _my_ business, not yours and _not_ my father's – he is _dead_."

Far too calmly, Totosai crossed his arms.

"And so were you. Weapons of such power, abilities that drive back the veil between the worlds...dangerous in the wrong hands, very dangerous – _not that yours are right_."

He cleared his throat then and continued.

"Now, do you plan to answer my question? Who is your mate – or at least, the one who loves you? Such a female...I'd like to meet the one capable of _that_!"

Sesshomaru scowled at the implied – was it an insult? Once he would not have thought so – but he beckoned Kagome forward all the same. Her smile was thin and tired, but real; she had always found the old sword-smith amusing.

"Hello, Totosai. You might not remember me, but I was a companion of Inuyasha's; I've met you before. I'm Kagome -"

Totosai's eyes bulged oddly in her direction.

"You? _You_! Well, well...isn't that interesting, now? But I thought you were a human, missy!"

Kagome shrugged and her smile gained a little more life.

"So did I. Please, Totosai, can you tell me – _us_ – what it is that made Tenseiga work? If it hadn't been for Rin, we would've lost him..."

Her eyes drifted back to Sesshomaru's face, as if to reassure herself - _yes, he is still breathing. _

Totosai stared at Kagome for a long moment, a shifting in his face the only clue that he was thinking, contemplating – making decisions.

He had been waiting a long time for something like this to happen; for the icy wall Sesshomaru lived behind to crack. The dim hope that he had nurtured through the centuries, more the Inu no Taisho's than his, had come to unexpected fruition. He had not expected _this_ woman – this _female_ – to be the one responsible – out of anyone in the world, he had not expected her. But perhaps...there was no one better.

Totosai had witnessed the strength and power of her feelings himself; he had seen _heart_ in her even when there was nothing else to witness – not strength beyond measure, not power beyond limit...as he sensed she might possess now.

Peering about, as if to hide this secret from the watching world, Totosai crooked a finger, beckoning Kagome closer.

"Tenseiga is a picky weapon, little girl, a picky weapon indeed. It is not like its brother; it is not meant to protect. It is meant to undo the darkness when all protection has failed...and it will awaken itself in the hands of _any_ who feel a true bond of love. Do you understand? It is _love_, the beating heart that is more than life, which can awaken the beating heart of this sword...that power which is more than death."

Kagome flushed brilliantly, pressed her hands against her cheeks. Certainly there was no point in uttering any denial; she had spoken the words aloud in a moment of pain and weakness but that had also been a moment of truth.

"I...I see."

Sesshomaru scowled.

"This does not make sense. Once, I used Tenseiga to resurrect Jaken. Once, I used Tenseiga to resurrect a human girl I had exchanged less than ten words with. Last night, I used Tenseiga to resurrect three humans I did not know, and one who is the hearth-sister of my mate. I did not _love _those humans; I did not care if they lived or died."

The sword smith tapped the head of his hammer against the ground impatiently.

"If you did not care, _why did you do it_?"

Sesshomaru's scowl grew into a snarl and then faded.

"For _Kagome_. Because she has chosen them to protect; because they belong to her, and she to me. Because I would not have them harm her, even by their own deaths."

Totosai grinned, a disturbing sight. His eyes gleamed the gleam of a trap as it closes.

"The sword is motivated by only one _power_, Sesshomaru. You must love _someone_, or it wouldn't work. Love is not only romantic, you know...oh, no it is not...but I will admit that such a kind of love is deeper and more binding than many others."

Between them, silent, Kagome flushed a brilliant, glowing red. Joy lifted from her skin in tangible waves – and because of that, and because it was true, Sesshomaru did not deny it.

"Hn."

Totosai was quick to make his exit, once it became clear that Sesshomaru's patience had frayed and the questions that he had come to ask and answer were done with. Rin and Shippou watched Momo lift up and fly off into the sky with open mouths – and then Rin turned to Shippou and began to immediately question him about all the times he had previously encountered the smith.

There had not been many, but Shippou was happy to oblige – anything to distract him from the agony and the terror that had just passed.

Sesshomaru's first action, as if to deny everything that Totosai had told him, was to draw Tenseiga over the body of his fallen foe. He stood and stared down at Tatsuya for a long moment with the blade drawn in his hands, filled with variations and inflections and fluencies of rage.

He thought of the long feud between the Silent House and his own House of Blades – of the vengeful battle between Ryuukotsusei, Tatsuya's sire, and his own father. He thought of years and decades and centuries of hatred congealed into this battle, this attempt to steal from him all that he had newly gained...by the theft of his life.

_You would have succeeded in your treachery, if not for Kagome...that is what the old one was telling me. I would have lost everything, if not for her – if not for Rin - _

He thought of the blazing fury that had possessed him, the moment Shippou's panting voice had spilled out the bare skeleton of the story.

He thought of Kagome standing beside him in battle, and wished that he had been alive to see her fight, to see again the enchantment of her beauty when she killed...without guilt, this time. He looked over his shoulder and saw her smiling, looking down at her friend – saw her face twitch and her nose wrinkle as she made a moue of distaste, looking at her bloodstained dress and hair.

Her eyes shifted just the slightest bit and met his gaze; she smiled, flushing faintly, and he heard her words, bright and clear in his thoughts, far clearer than she had actually spoken them.

_You made me love you_.

Warmth, burning, blinding, enormous, rose suffocating in his chest – and then in his hand there was a matching warmth, a bright blue light.

_Tenseiga?_

And then his stare hardened; his eyes narrowed to golden slits.

_So the smith did not lie – but neither did he tell the truth. Love, indeed..._

"Houshi Miroku."

His sudden address startled Miroku into turning so swiftly he overbalanced and nearly fell flat on his back. For a moment he teetered wildly, and then spun back in the other direction and looked across at Sesshomaru with a sheepish expression.

"Ah...haha...yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru stared for a moment, as if rethinking his request, and then turned back to Tatsuya's body and leveled three quick slashes of Tenseiga's blade at the creatures only he could see. There was a moment of silence, and then a long, drawn-out hiss of breath from his revived foe.

"Houshi Miroku, you have the ability to create a seal of holy powers; do so. _Bind him_."

Sesshomaru stared down into his enemy's eyes, saw fear and rage layered there with hatred and disgust. Miroku was quick and did not hesitate, but flung _ofuda_ one after another, binding Tatsuya in a cocoon of power that manifested as glittering chains. Tatsuya struggled as soon as real consciousness had returned to him, thrashed and snarled in his bonds, but Miroku's seals had held Inuyasha – Inuyasha, who had defeated Ryuukotsusei. Tatsuya was strong, but he was not his father – or he would not have needed treachery to gain his victory.

Harshly, Sesshomaru grabbed the crackling chains in one hand, and turned toward his fortress dragging Tatsuya behind him.

For a moment there were shouts and hisses and screams of rage – and then Miroku activated one more well placed sutra, and Tatsuya was forcefully silenced.

* * *

A shadow followed behind Sesshomaru and his family as they returned to the fortress. It was a filament of Kasuka's will, a fracture of power; it was a soul recaptured from beyond the edge of death, an ancestral spirit snatched bodily from the void. It was set to do _her_ bidding; its will was the will of power and the will of pain.

Time had passed slowly, all its moments torture for a being immortal in death as it had been in life. Time had passed, and much had been forgotten, but things lost to memory cease to matter...

And vengeance walked free.

The shadow bypassed the screaming protection that still roiled uncertain about the gate of Sesshomaru's fortress; it was not a living presence, not a living being; it intended harm only indirectly, and a more vital, more certain enemy was being dragged through that Power before it.

Still, despite this initial ease of entry a thing that Kasuka had not expected conspired against her commands, turning events in a direction that she could never have foreseen.

Miroku's presence was that thing. His power was a different sort than that a miko wielded, bound more firmly to this world. Without the aid of his _ofuda_ and staff, the energies he manipulated and bent to his control would not work for him; there was no youkai equivalent to such a mastery, such an art of power and intent. Miroku had been a prodigy all his life, a wielder of mighty energies in all the forms that he could learn – but it was in the banishing and capture of youkai and evil forces that he had the most skill.

It was the way he had made his living, for though occasionally he was less than honest about the existence of an _ominous cloud_, he had never once stepped back from a place where an infestation of evil was genuine.

The chain with which he had bound Tatsuya was a manifestation of all his strengths in exorcism and containment, a power he had only rarely used to its fullest. He did not often face foes strong enough to require it. He had no doubt, even in the moment he had let the first _ofuda_ fly, that Kagome could easily destroy this _beast_ again...but he knew equally that Sesshomaru wanted _something _from Tatsuya, and that only he could make that possible.

A miko's power was purification – destruction or healing; Miroku's power was the power to shape and control. The chain bound Tatsuya to Miroku's will, each character a specific seal. For his legs, _stillness_; for his arms and hands, _lethargy_ and _numbness_. To his torso, _binding_, binding repeated over and over; for his tongue, _silence_, the complete absence of noise.

Kasuka had sent her dark emissary expecting Tatsuya to waken into life free, a motile force who would spew vitriol and plant seeds of suspicion and false intent that she could water later at her leisure. She had expected him to be open to the possession of her shadow-forces, an easy, discarded resource to be exploited one final time.

What Miroku had created was a situation as far from that expectation as could be. If she had known what would be waiting, she would never have overplayed her hand so openly, so _visibly_ – but the decision was irretrievable, irrevocable.

In one moment, there was a quiet group in a quiet room, deep in the fortress cellars – Sango and Kagome quiet, tending to Rin and Shippou; Miroku quiet, maintaining his concentration and his power; Sesshomaru quiet, contemplating his foe -

Tatsuya quiet, forcefully so.

In the next moment, there was a streaming shadow, a flash of light, a terrible, unearthly scream. Where he sat on the floor, Miroku rocked as if under the impact of a physical blow. Sweat streamed from his temples; he let out a gasp of pain, but almost immediately began muttering under his breath, stringing syllables together out of instinct – an incantation against otherworldly assault, the protective spells of seven sutras, a strengthening of the binding that he had wrought against Tatsuya.

Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet. He could feel a foreign will working against his power, ripping at it from outside -

A slow flow of blood trickled from Miroku's left nostril. He staggered; this outsider was strong, stronger than any force he had ever encountered. With a shout, he intensified the boundary of his power; the chains crackled to life, blinding white and brilliant. Beneath them Tatsuya heaved and struggled, twisting despite the _ofuda_ meant to hold him still.

Gradually, Miroku's struggle with an unseen force became a struggle with a visible force, as the dark shadow that had attempted to possess Tatsuya drew itself up into a hovering shape – serpentine, struggling, seeking.

Sesshomaru's voice rang out in warning, sharply.

"Houshi! Beware that shadow -"

Miroku let out a shout of effort. With a swift, long practiced motion his fingers sorted through the _ofuda _in his sleeve and selected the appropriate one.

_**Banishment**._

_Return to darkness._

There was a second, bluer flash of brightness; there was the sound of a thunderclap, and a screech of agony and absolute rage that echoed in two-tone harmony.

The smell of ozone lingered with a foul stench in a room gone suddenly quiet again; Miroku swayed for a moment, and then lowered himself to the floor and resumed his meditative posture, not giving an inch.

Kagome's worried expression vanished, and was replaced by a smile; Sango knelt beside her man and wiped blood from his face with the corner of her sleeve. She had seen him perform difficult exorcisms before, but nothing of this magnitude. She had worried for him, and seeing the strain on his face she worried for him still – but she was also proud, fiercely so.

Sesshomaru stared, and then nodded once.

"Impressive."

On the floor, eyes wide, still now beneath a drifting of ash and dust that was all that remained of the conflict of powers, Tatsuya felt a trembling begin in his soul. He had chosen glory and the memory of lost honors over his own life and the lives of his kin; that seemed clear to him now. He had seen one act of power, one perfect evil permanence calling others into being; Kasuka's will and rightness had seemed unbreakable as he stood before her, watching her summon their ancestors from air and darkness.

In the moment of Miroku's victory, the moment of that terrible scream, Tatsuya knew that he had set himself in allegiance to the wrong side; that Kasuka and those she had _called_ were vulnerable, after all.

_I am going to die._

The thought came to him clearly.

He caught the edge of Sesshomaru's glance at him, saw wrath channeled into conduits of patience and pain. He remembered all the horror that had been his first death, the cell-splintering agony that had ruptured his bond with the living world.

He knew that whatever was coming for him, it would be worse.

Hatred boiled in his belly, and he did not know who it was for – if it was for Kasuka, or Sesshomaru, or himself.

* * *

A/N: Phew! So many sticking points in this chapter, and delicate truths to be handled only one way in case of future disaster...but...I think I got them all. And so...we say onward once more, to a chapter that will hopefully not take me a month to work through! Thanks go to all my whipcrackers, who reminded me that I was slacking again :P

Please Review!


	42. XLII: Darkness Ascending

XLII

Darkness Ascending

* * *

Tatsuya did not need to be worried about _Sesshomaru_. The promise of pain that flared crimson in the gold Inu eyes was not to be fulfilled, because despite all that had passed between them so far, despite the change in her own nature and the necessities that had come of it – despite the red blood he had watched Kagome drink down from raw, fresh kills made with her own hands...

He was leery of exposing her to the darkest, most intense depths of his own demonic power. He was afraid to show her the face that loved pain, the part of himself that gloried in the agony of a victim, in the bittersweet complexity of fear in all its tones and tastes.

Sesshomaru was not certain she was aware of those parts of him; surely she had not forgotten the years they had spent antagonizing each other, standing on opposite sides of the red line of battle..._surely she had not forgotten..._

And so he made his decision.

_I will not show her – I will not give her a chance to turn away again. Someday – when she has recognized that part of her **own** nature – someday -_

He was faced with a challenge as he made that decision, because Tatsuya would not give up the truth willingly. Pain could take the truth from him; the scents of the Dragon's body beside blood and agony would tell Sesshomaru when that truth had been found. But...if he was not to be the one to make that agony; if he was not to be the one...

His eyes roamed aimlessly, darting between the floor and Kagome, her robe, her face, her hands; the man and the woman beside him, the girl who walked with one hand on his bloody hakama.

_The man and the woman beside him. _

If Miroku had not just proved his own usefulness a thousandfold – if Miroku had not currently been in the process of proving that usefulness just by the fact that Tatsuya was bound and still living before them, when that bloody shape of shadow had been vanquished...if not for those things, the thought that darted across Sesshomaru's mind would never have taken hold.

But it did.

_The woman._

Taijiya, the woman, a slayer of youkai, a hard woman...a harsh woman. The few memories he possessed with her in them imparted that knowledge to him, the pitiless way she confronted youkai, the easy with which she dispatched many beings that should be able to feed on her young, strong soul.

_And she is devoted to Kagome – the ultimate loyalty. As Kagome is devoted her -_

_And she owes me a debt, this woman. She owes me her life, which would not be hers if not for my power – but no. Perhaps it is Kagome she owes for that, even if my hands worked the magic._

"Taijiya, Sango, I have a request of you."

His voice rumbled in the confined space of the little room, and the woman turned to meet his gaze along with all the others, each of them equally surprised that Sesshomaru had chosen Sango for...what?

"What is that request, Sesshomaru-sama? I owe you a debt; I will repay it, if I can."

He was pleased at her acknowledgment.

"This _filth_ has information I require; the knowledge of the future that comes from being a party to desperate plans -"

Sango surprised him then by knowing exactly what he desired.

"So you want the truth; you want the whole truth. And you want me to take it from him...I can do that, Sesshomaru-sama, gladly. I can do that in ways that would surprise and disturb you."

She smiled, and Sesshomaru found himself already disturbed; it was a calm smile, an everyday smile; it had not even a dark edge, but her _words_ -

"There are weapons that inflict pain and terrible damage on youkai, strikes that hinder regeneration and pressure points that can turn the flow of youki into a burning knot of agony. There are poisons...terrible poisons..."

Sango turned to look at Tatsuya as she spoke, and her fingers toyed with one of the secret pockets in her sleeve. Sesshomaru saw that Tatsuya's _disturbance _was far greater than his own when she turned that smile on him; when she continued to smile it even as her words grew darker with blood.

"I know where the veins ride close beneath the surface, and how to let the blood from your body so that the loss is like a truth serum; I have drugs that can strip the will from your soul; I know the questions to ask that will leave you without recourse but to answer; I can flay you to the bone and strip the tendons from beneath your flesh one at a time if pain and blood is the only way to make you talk."

She leaned down close to Tatsuya's face, and sneered at him.

"That is the _least _of what I will do to you, just for causing Kagome pain. _Then_ I will begin on the questions."

Sesshomaru turned at the sound of the door opening, but he only nodded once at Miroku, who had begun to usher Rin and Shippou out into the hallway, away from the bloody mess that was soon to follow. Sesshomaru was halfway out the door following Rin before he turned back to hold out his hand for Kagome – but she waved him away, and the expression on her face was one he would remember forever.

It sent simultaneous surges through him, hot and cold; pure and ultimate desire and a complex of confusions.

"I'm going to stay here with Sango, Sesshomaru. I can help her, I have before; youkai don't like my power, you know that -"

And she, too, smiled; but it was a smile different from the woman's by the shadows it contained, the feelers of darkness rising up and outward.

When she was human she had detested this work; she had not liked to cause pain, had not liked to take life. She was still Kagome; she still maintained the essential power of redemption, the ability of a twisted soul to reform itself; she still believed in the lights of the world conquering the darknesses – even as the darkness within her own soul rose up to reclaim her, to reshape her flesh according to its own nature. But she was no longer unwilling to flesh out a point with pain and had not yet recognized this about herself; just as she had been forced to learn the redness of flesh to feed herself, she needed now to learn the redness of pain...

Sesshomaru almost stayed, wondering what it would be like for her; wondering if she would run toward this new part of herself, embracing it as she had everything else...or if she would turn from it finally, and make an uneasy, dangerous peace with the Inu and its urges. She had never yet looked away from the truth, once she knew it – he had proof of this for himself, had owned that knowledge since the moment he had told her she was youkai and watched belief and then acceptance...and then desire spread across her face. But...

He nodded to her, accepting her words, her _potential_, and then turned away, shooing the children down the hall in front of him. They ran their own way, eager to play, to forget now that they were safe. Sesshomaru's eye followed the fox kit; the child might forget, but _he would remember_. Strong he was, for one so young...and worthy of the Sesshomaru's House, to which chance had bound him.

Worthy of Kagome.

_Kagome_.

_Mate, you do not yet know what it is that grows within you...but I so very badly want to see what happens when you do. _

The moment when she accepted the darkness; when she let it swallow her. The moment she would take on the flesh of the Inu for the first time...

_You will be so lovely, Kagome. _

Behind him, Miroku sat outside the door of the room that had become Tatsuya's torture chamber. A barrier of power expanded outward from where he sat, meditating, praying – sealing the doorways between the world of Shadows that had threatened them once already and this world.

The screams began then, high and sharp and piercing.

Sesshomaru wondered how the woman had begun, but he did not turn back. He had his own work to do; there were deeper implications in this _abduction_ than just the open facts of the encounter. They had taken Rin, but Rin had not been their target – only inasmuch as they had been able to reach him through her. They had come prepared with poison that had not been seen in an age; strong enough to overwhelm his own immunity, his own _dokkasou_; dark poison, whose use had been forbidden...

His own life would have been worth nothing in the face of it, if not for Kagome...and Rin. If not for the sword that his father had left him...

He comforted himself in the knowledge that having tasted it once, having been submitted to the burn of it in his veins, he knew that they particular venom would never touch him again. By the same token, Tenseiga could restore a life only once; there would be no second chances at this world.

Sesshomaru was possessed by anger, by regrets that he could not place except against Tatsuya...but he recognized now a deeper wisdom in his choice to allow the woman to do her _work_.

_I would not be able to hold back. Not against this one. Questions are needed, but all I want of him is death!_

He sat at his desk, and took his brush in hand, and began to ink out the first of many summons; to Kinawai, who he knew would come...and who had best come quickly, before Sesshomaru decided to take action himself, without consulting _anyone_.

The words flowed easily, and behind each one was rage.

_Kinawai -_

_ In your position as head of Council, you are required. Here. Now. _

_ Do not delay. _

_ I will not restrain myself for the sake of a score of fools._

_ Too much is at stake._

He did not sign his missive but sealed it in blood, the irrevocable proof of where it had come from. An invisible hand took the paper from him, and instructions on how it was to be delivered.

Then he sat quiet and still, listening to Tatsuya's screams as they echoed through the stone corridors of the fortress, scenting the flowering of Kagome's power and the sick sweetness of Dragon blood. The messenger knew his haste; if Kinawai knew what was good for him, he would leave as soon as the message arrived and reach Sesshomaru between nightfall and moonrise.

"And by then...I will know what I need to know; by then, Tatsuya will have spilled everything of value that he knows..."

* * *

Sango did not wait. When the door closed behind Sesshomaru and Miroku, and she felt the flickering barrier of holy power rise over them, a familiar presence, a consolation that she had worked beneath many times, she reached into one of the hidden pockets that decorated her worn leather armor and pulled out a little skin that gurgled faintly in her palm as she cradled it.

Onto one of the blades that she kept secreted at her wrist she sluiced a thin layer of whatever it was that was in the skin; to Kagome's nose it was strongly scented of herbs that seemed familiar, but she had never seen such a preparation in Kaede's pharmacopeia. Sango spoke in a low voice, conversationally, her eyes on the Dragon who would soon suffer her _skills_.

Kagome only watched, waiting until she was needed.

"Well, Dragon, now that we are alone, shall we begin? Tell me the name of the one who sent you; the one who leads this stand against Sesshomaru?"

Tatsuya said nothing; his eyes were on Kagome, not Sango, and so he was not prepared for the swift slice of her blade against his flesh when he did not speak. The first scream was surprise and not pain or panic; it was the _second_ scream_,_ a moment after the first, that told of the agony Sango had only begun to inflict.

The slash was across his cheek, just below his eye; the second was on the other side of his face, mirroring the first. It was not the cuts that hurt him, but whatever she had smeared across her blade; it burned into his skin, bored up toward his eyes, scrabbled at the thousand nerves of his face. He wondered if it was poison, a revenge for what had happened to Sesshomaru – or maybe acid, to burn away his flesh -

He reminded himself that he could, he _would_ regenerate, but the thought was only a promise of endless pain – and then the burning began to dull, and fade away.

Sango was watching him closely; she knew what to look to for; she saw the moment when the pain had begun to fade, the snide expression crawling across his lips – and then panic, when he tried to blink and could not. When he tried to look away from her face and found his gaze stuck, unmoving.

"You will have realized now that the muscles near those wounds are paralyzed; the nerves too, now that the pain is fading. You can't move your eyes, your forehead; you can't blink – soon your eyes will begin to burn. The dose you have received from my blade is enough for only a temporary effect at the moment, but there is a point beyond which even the most powerful youkai can't recover. Already, it's enough that another cut near the eyes will blind you."

She leaned close to his face, met his unmoving stare.

"Do you believe me, Dragon? Will you answer my questions?"

She gave him three beats of silence, and then slash his face again, cutting through the mocking glare of his left pupil.

His scream this time was of a higher, purer pain. A red sheet of darkness poured from his broken eye – and across his face, the burning crept and tingled, numbness that woke a shadow of gray around what he could see through his right eye, whole but not untouched.

It took only a moment for gray twilight to become black darkness. His breathing sped in terror. Agony – that was only the half of it. Nothing in his experience, nothing he had ever been told had served warning that the _taijiya_ could do something like this to him. That a human could do something so terrible, could stand without fear before a demon and pry secrets out with pain. The truth confronted him in the next moment: he was Tatsuya, son of Ryuukotsusei, and he was a coward, and he was dead.

He felt the woman's breath on his ear. When had she moved?

"Will you still not tell me, Dragon?"

Sango paced in a circle around her blinded prisoner, wiped the blood from her blade and slicked it once again with the powerful persuasive. One at a time, she began to decorate his flesh with little cuts, wounds that burned and then lost sensation, stole his movement, his control, his power – but they were not all the same, not all infected with the same poison.

Some bore a pain that lingered like acid. Some burned like a fire in his flesh. Some, like the first, stole all sensation after a moment...some were deeper, but all were followed by the same question.

"Who?"

And again.

"_Who?_"

And again -

"**Who!**"

Sango flayed his flesh open with her short blade, poured powders and burning fluids into the wounds. Finally she pushed him back, bared his heaving abdomen and sliced deep into pink tissues with raw steel. She found the liver, wet and dark and heavy, and from the rich organ she cut a corner of visceral flesh, and then another, peeling away his insides, throwing the bits one at a time away from his body so that the wet slap of his own organ was audible to him.

Hours had passed. Only youkai stamina kept Tatsuya conscious, alive, still capable of speech, and Sango took a break for water, washed her hands and arms and ate while Kagome stood over the prisoner, threatening by her closeness and her flickering power and the scent of her rage.

When she returned, she stared grimly at the work she had done, and remembering her words set to work again. Sheets and fibers of muscle she peeled from beneath his skin; she stretched tendons to the breaking point, shattered bones and finally, finally began to eke out words from beneath his screams.

"Should I take your hands from you, Dragon? Your legs? The organs that sustain you? Tell me the name of the one who sent you! Tell me what you were after, when you went after Rin!"

"We..."

She stopped, stood very still, listening to the ragged whisper of his voice and then reached into soft, exposed organs with the tip of her knife when he hesitated again.

"We! We...took the girl – because she was...human. _Unprotected_. Vulnerable. _Because he chose her_. The Inu! _Sesshomaru_..."

He drew in a deep, sucking breath that whined with agony.

"We took the girl...because of _him_. To – draw him out. To make _him_ the...vulnerable one – _ah!_"

The sharp point of her blade cut another sliver of flesh.

"A name, Dragon. You still are not giving me a _name_."

"We – we worked alone -"

"A lie! The name, Dragon!"

Sango stood still, the blade poised in her hand. No further words were forthcoming, only panting, the scent of death in his breath now, odor of entrails, odor of poison, odor of blood.

She turned to look at Kagome then, and saw what she had not expected but should have – darkness, eagerness, the reaching Inu in the hum of crimson that tinted her gold eyes. Her gaze was directed at the flood of blood that had spilled from the Dragon in the course of Sango doing her _work_; her nostrils were flared, gathering rich and terrible scents, her pupils dilated with a desire that had never existed in Kagome-the-woman, but which Sango was familiar with all the same.

_Desire for pain. Desire to destroy. _

"Kagome, I need your help, please. Burn him a little; just a little. Set his blood on _fire_ with pain."

A smile spread across Kagome's face that Sango knew Sesshomaru would regret having missed, and she stepped forward with light playing around her fingertips, golden and violet both. It ran outward like water and reached around Tatsuya's flesh like a caress – but Sango knew it wasn't.

The screams told her that, and the name in them, finally shaken free by an agony no blade or poison could mimic even a little.

"Stop – stop – please – stop -"

And then:

"_Kasuka!_ Kasuka, it was Kasuka -"

Satisfied, Sango motioned for Kagome to step back. Unwillingly, she did so, but the hungry smile on her face did not change.

"You're sure it's enough, Sango?"

"Yes. For now. I would have asked you earlier, but I was having too much fun."

She grinned to match Kagome, albeit missing sharper teeth in her smile; then she turned back to Tatsuya. The wound she had opened in his abdomen was already beginning to close; within the gash she could see organs and tissues realigning, resetting, renewing. The damage she had done to his liver, and to his left eye would take years to heal; the rest only hours or days...if he lived that long.

"Now, Dragon, you will tell me the specifics of the plan that this _Kasuka_ made; you will tell me the names of those who are still living who take orders from her; you will tell me the numbers of her strength, and where they are hiding, and what they are waiting for."

Tatsuya spat blood in the direction of Sango's voice but she stepped back neatly, avoiding it. With the blade she had used to blind him, she reached out and pierced his wrists where they crossed over his head, running through the throbbing veins that ran there. With another blade, twin to the first, she sliced behind his ankles, and then deep into the thigh, seeking the femoral artery – she found it, spurting blood told her so, and then she sat back to watch the red flow out of him. Three times, she refreshed the deeper wounds. The right eye that remained whole and open, if blind, grew heavy-lidded. His expression grew dull, his features lax; he panted faintly now, the senses remaining to him shivering away from consciousness.

"What was your plan, Dragon?"

"I won't..."

"Your plan. Tell me. To take Rin from this place, and draw Sesshomaru out into the wilderness. To taunt him into the open, to make him vulnerable to your poison – you made it just for him. You made it strong, strong enough to kill a thousand others. You knew it would not work otherwise -"

"No – no – we didn't – we didn't make -"

"You didn't make the poison? Who did? Who brought it to you? Who said that it would work? Who did you trust?"

The questions came fast, one after another. Loss of blood was shutting down organs, shutting down his brain. Suddenly there was no reason for him to deny her, or if there was he could not remember it. Even the pain was fading; only her voice existed at the center of his world, drawing out answers in a choked and dreamy voice.

"Kasuka...the Dragonlord's daughter...her own blood. Her _power_...enough for anyone...even the Inu; enough to destroy. The Dragonlord's daughter – the Dragonlord's...daughter."

He smiled.

"She will kill you _all_ -"

Sango gritted her teeth and restrained herself; Kagome did not. The puddle of blood on the floor smoked into purple flame and vanished, leaving an acrid smoke. The fire climbed Tatsuya's flesh, invested his blood, blackened his skin around the shine of Sango's blade.

Kagome spoke in a flat, frozen whisper. Her stare drank his agony; his screams poured into her thirsty ears. There was no argument within her; everything she was, miko and youkai, human heart and youkai spirit, was in agreement over the fate that should befall this treacherous foe. She did not argue with the darkness as it moved in her, she welcomed it; she reached for it, guiltless, guileless in her reasons and her motives to cause pain as she was guileless in everything else.

Blood smoke, blood flavors, blood scent, blood lust –

All of them were hers, and his screams so precious – they, too, belonged to her.

A flash of images moved across her mind, pushed forward by the Inu as it awoke and strove within her for mastery: Rin's fear, Sesshomaru's agony...Sesshomaru's death. _The death of my mate, the death of my mate compels me -_

Sango's voice interrupted her introspection.

"Careful, Kagome, you'll kill him -"

"Not yet."

The words snapped out across the end of Sango's admonition, a whisper that hinted at all of Kagome's unspoken desires.

"Not yet. I'll only make him _suffer_."

"Kagome -"

Kagome glared at Sango, but the woman did not shy away from her red-glazed vision. She was over being disturbed by the youkai in her friend; scowling, Kagome sighed, and then shrugged, forcefully.

"Fine. Fine – I'll let you _continue_."

The fire died. The parts of Tatsuya that remained untouched were not many, but where there was unwounded skin it stood out sharply. It seemed more pale now compared to the blackened flesh and burnt muscles that showed where Kagome's power had afflicted him. Those wounds did not begin to regenerate as the wounds that Sango had left on him had done.

"She's eager for your death, Dragon; for the revenge that was undone and delayed when Sesshomaru brought you back to life. If you are lucky, Sesshomaru will kill you himself, and not leave you for her; or did you want to suffer that burn for the rest of time?"

Tatsuya smiled vacantly; his voice spilled out like water from a broken vessel and painted the future with horrors.

"She will come for you...for all of you...she will destroy, as only she can, and when she is through..."

Laughter bubbled bloody from Tatsuya's throat.

"When she is through, even if she has no victory, the price...the price of victory against her...will be higher than you know...or want. The Inu is her enemy, and those who stand by him...Dragon mate, or human, or child, it does not...matter. This place...this place and no place...no safety from her...or her servants."

Kagome snarled in his direction, showing a mouthful of glittering fangs; Sango only shook her head, and reached for the knife – but the door slammed open behind her just then, revealing Sesshomaru and a dark shadow beside him unfamiliar to her.

Kagome's expression shifted quickly and she smiled in greeting; _she_ knew who Sesshomaru's companion was.

"Kinawai; hello. Did Sesshomaru invite you to meet our _guest_?"

From his place beside Sesshomaru Kinawai stared in open surprise at the sight before him – the woman, crimson splashed, bloody to the elbows; Kagome herself, redder in motive than he remembered her – and behind them the Dragon, one of those who owed him oath and allegiance, his life hanging by a thin thread.

"Well, Sesshomaru, I see why you summoned me; shall we go somewhere more comfortable to discuss what this one and his companions -"  
"_Discuss_?"

Sango backed away toward the corner, hearing the depth of fury in Sesshomaru's hiss.

"They took my daughter from me – my daughter, claimed before them all. They laid hands on Rin – on _me_ – used poison in their attempt to subdue me...the last of my bloodline, the last of my House! Tell me, Kinawai, why I should not seek out every last one of them and slaughter them all!"

Odd, choking laughter came from Tatsuya, bleeding from a hundred wounds, bound still in Miroku's seals behind them. Sesshomaru turned to face him, a growl in his throat, but Kinawai stepped between them and tried to insert some calm into the situation.

"Sesshomaru, you cannot slaughter them all and taking your vengeance from this one will not solve the problem of his purpose. Call the Council. Let them see this _filth_; let it be decided by them what should be done."

A red-eyed expression of wrath met his eyes at that.

"Council! _Council_! Once before, I followed this advice; years ago, when the Dragon challenged my father, and he was slain – when he, too, was destroyed...he, unluckier than I in the mate he chose. All that was accomplished then was the confirmation of my own decision; hours of argument, pointless, hours of argument for which I have no patience now. _Now_, when barely a century has passed – these Dragons have short memories, Kinawai, and I intend to brand an image of destruction into their thoughts that will last _forever_!"

"Sesshomaru, you cannot act unilaterally on this! Your father was the one who brought the Council together; _you cannot disregard_ _it_!"

For a moment, Sesshomaru stared down into the eyes of his captive Dragon; then he hit him once, sharply, so hard that Tatsuya's lower jaw broke and then tore, shattered away from his face. Blood and flesh spattered against the far wall; he watched it slide to the floor with a twist of smile that was cruel in its pleasure.

"Sesshomaru - !"

"Very well."

Kinawai paused.

"Very...well? You -"

"I will allow you to summon the Council. I will save my retribution until they have talked themselves out of words. But I warn you, Kinawai – this waiting will _not_ ease my wrath. Too many times, I have been forced to save her – my girl. My _daughter_. This last was one too many, and this time – _this time_ all those involved, _all of them_, will pay with their lives."

His eyes met Kinawai's with a sudden intensity.

"_All_ of them, Kinawai – do you understand?"

For a moment Kinawai's eyes flashed open wide, and then settled back into an attempt at lazy diffidence. He had seen all at once and totally Sesshomaru's meaning; the reason for the intensity, the focus.

_He believes this was Kasuka's doing. _

The proof of this, the proof that was in Tatsuya's words, he did not yet know; nor did Sesshomaru. But the suspicion was obvious, and easy – for the Inu.

_Sesshomaru will call her out, if she stands against him, and when he does he will break the Council! Too many long for the days when youkai were in power; Dragonlord Days, dreaming days. Too many want what she offers...but without her involved, or the ancient names she will dredge out of history to support her claim. And Sesshomaru..._

His eyes cleared as his sight darkened.

_Sesshomaru, strongest of us all_ -

"I understand, Sesshomaru."

Kinawai turned away, and tried not to think about what it would mean if his own mate was named as traitor to kin and Council, if the Challenge he feared were to take place, if the Council were broken – if there was war.

"I understand...all too well."

He turned away from Tatsuya without another word; as the head of the Council, he was the one who could summon them – the one to decide whether or not the cause was worthwhile. There would be grumbling; too much seemed to focus on Sesshomaru, these days...

But that was not _his_ fault; Kinawai knew his friend, and that all he wanted was to be left alone with his new mate.

_Whoever and whatever has begun this, he will end it. _

_Soon is not soon enough_.

He heard Sesshomaru's voice behind him, thanking the woman for her work, offering her the basement springs to clean up in; help, from a _taijiya_...and Kagome, too? Yes. He had seen the blackened bits of Tatsuya's flesh even in the dimness, even through the red.

Kinawai remembered that once he had thought Kagome was a youkai with a human heart.

He thought that he had been wrong; always wrong.

That the human in her had been a mask, torn off piece by piece -

That for the first time, he was staring her truth in the face.

_Red-eyed Inu, the mate of Sesshomaru, thirsty for vengeance...as he is_.

He wondered what details had made this so; what had woken bloody hungers in the calm of her soul. He asked Sesshomaru, and received only an answer that shocked him into silence.

"They poisoned me; those Dragons. I died, and though I live again, _she will not forgive them_."

Kinawai shuddered, and began to write the summons' that were required.

* * *

A/N: Ah...hm. Yes. A year. Um...sorry? :cringes: I was bad...but look! Over here! A CHAPTER! Which I do hereby dedicate to Wiccan, for igniting memory and guilt spasms...and Kay, for not letting me slack out of them...ah...here's to not taking another year for the next chapter, ya?

Also: For those of you who like Sesshomaru/Kagome pairings, as well as smut, take a gander at Dokuga's Forum, where you will find a link to the Summer Smut Madness Tournament. Write smut, win prizes - full details in the forum posting!

Please Review!


	43. Ghost Past, Gone Past

XLIII

Ghost Past, Gone Past

* * *

The messages went out in the morning, signed in Kinawai's hand and sealed with Kinawai's blood and the sigil of power that had been passed to him when Sesshomaru's father had died. To the five Inu of the west – to the Nine Tails and each of his seven sons, to Togusa and the four bears of the Great Forests, to Kouga and the four Wolf Elders...all of the Council, he summoned, forty messages in total because he and Sesshomaru had no need to be told.

When they were out of his hands, Kinawai relaxed a little and then wandered through the great fortress, seeking Sesshomaru. The Inu was in the eastern garden with his mate, and Kinawai stood for a little while, watching them. If they were talking he couldn't hear it, but it didn't matter – he wasn't spying, just...looking.

He wanted something like what they had. He wanted a mate who would belong to him as much as he belonged to her...someone who was not a desperate thorn, agony at every awkward moment. From a personal standpoint, if Kasuka was killed it wouldn't hurt him any – he would be free of her for the first time in many long years. The _other_ consequences...but then again, what other consequences could there be, now? If Kasuka had roused the desperation of the sleeping Dragons then she was of no further use to him, had instead become a liability because her actions, her _betrayal_, would taint his name.

He shook his head as he walked forward; it had been the risk he took when he mated her. He saw that Kagome was the one who turned to look at him first, a dark and unpleasant expression on her face. Her greeting was short and almost pained.

"Kinawai, good morning."

"Good morning, Kagome -"

"I'll – just leave you two alone, then -"

Discomfited, Kinawai watched her as she bowed a little bow and then walked away. Sesshomaru's eyes followed her, and then he looked up at Kinawai, the same enigmatic expression as always.

"Kinawai, there's going to be trouble for you and there's nothing I can do about it."

Kinawai shrugged.

"I knew that when I saw Kagome's face."

"Because she knows the truth. That Dragon – Tatsuya. He works on Kasuka's orders. Attacked Rin, attacked me, on _Kasuka's_ orders. Your mate has some vast plot, and Tatsuya says she is the Dragonlord's daughter. The thought that it might be true – that Kasuka is the daughter of the last Dragonlord - Kagome is – disturbed. Kasuka told her when she gave her a mating gift that the two of them were kin; now she thinks she has proof and it bothers her _greatly_."

Kinawai lifted his eyebrows.

"Kasuka is a manipulative thing; I always knew this. You know that I, personally, have no stake in her plots; regardless, there's trouble for me in anything she's done. Still – if you intend to kill her, I don't see how that should be trouble for your mate. Kagome's relationship to her must be distant; there is...someone else who will have far more reason to be disturbed."

Sesshomaru's face shifted, twisted out of it's impassive, frosted calm and into something feral and terrible.

"To kill Kasuka is the least of what I intend to do to her – to her, and those who supported her. Don't forget, I've kept the Records for many long years. I know exactly who you speak of – and Eldest will do nothing to stand in my way; not if she wishes to escape my anger."

His eyes glittered.

"I do not think she will interfere. I think she has made clear who it is that she supports, among those of her _kin _still left alive. Didn't you know, Kinawai? Eldest calls Kagome her sister-daughter because that is what she is. How, or why she found this out I have not yet discovered; only that it is so. I made my own test of Eldest's presumption of her claims, and Kagome recognized her mother's face in the Record; Kurakazurahime was her mother. Do you understand, Kinawai? The one who was lost; I know where she went, and how it is that she lives there still...and how it is that Kagome is her daughter."

Kinawai blinked.

"Kagome – she is the daughter of the Lost Princess? She is the daughter of the -"

"Yes."

"I don't – how is that possible?"

"Kagome came to me from very far away, Kinawai – but not in space, in _time_. The record says that in the days of the Great Hunting, in which the Dragonlord's kin were chased down by the Inu who had rebelled against them, Kurakazurahime was lost after she went to visit her sister in her exile. Something happened between them; when Kurakazurahime left, she was no longer Dragon, but human, and as her _youki _was suppressed within her so must have been the _youki_ of her unborn child.

"She ran into the forests of the west, and further – into the wood that borders on the village of Edo, where there is a dry well that acts as passage to the future. The last words of the Inu chasing her spoke of how she disappeared; how she fell into a pit in the ground and vanished, leaving not even a body behind."

Kinawai shook his head.

"That was just -"

"The truth. Because not that long ago, the well in the forest that once was claimed by my brother woke again, to make strange channels in time. Kagome came from the distant future, a future to which she and Inuyasha made passage back and forth, many times. In that future, five hundred years ahead of us in time, her mother, Kurakazurahime, still lives – but Kagome doesn't know if her mother is aware of her past. If she is, she has never spoken of it to her daughter."

Kagome is speechless, but he knows Sesshomaru too well to suspect that there is anything but the truth in what he's being told.

"Do you understand, Kinawai? She knows that she is Kasuka's cousin, that Eldest is her Aunt; that if her mother had not been lost she might have lived and died her life a score of centuries ago with Kasuka raised beside her."

Kinawai winced a little, but his eyes were hard.

"Might-have-been's are no use to anyone, Sesshomaru. You realize that Kasuka is likely to have allies in Council – those who have less sentimental reasons than your mate to wish for some lesser penalty than death."

"They can wish what they like."

A deadly blankness spread across Sesshomaru's gaze, and Kinawai shuddered despite himself. There was the glacial cold that had bought Sesshomaru his reputation.

"Listen well, Kinawai. I will not hold back my vengeance from her; I will take everything in my possession, everything under my command and throw it at her. She will die."

"She will defy you -"

Sesshomaru smiled and the smile together with the chill of his eyes was terrible to behold.

"I look_ forward _to it, Kinawai."

* * *

That night, the responses began to come back from the lords to whom Kinawai had sent messages – far faster than he had expected. There were promises of attendance from every one, and in the messages from the Inu and Togusa a promise of more than just their word at the Council table. Sesshomaru read them with a certain satisfaction and then paced around the limits of the pavilion in which he had ordered the evening meal served.

The scent of Tatsuya choked him in the fortress; he couldn't breath in there for the thought of killing the smug Dragon – but no. Kinawai was right, Tatsuya was evidence, and could speak further evidence, and that would be necessary.

Sesshomaru had no desire to break the Council, no desire to make more trouble than Kasuka had already caused – but he would take his vengeance regardless of the price, and be damned for it if need be. The messages that had come with answers pleased him only because Kagome was still troubled, and he wanted this nonsense over with as fast as possible.

She ate little, and excused herself early to go read with Rin and Shippou. The children were excited to have her full attention, and Sesshomaru watched them go with mixed feelings. There were things to attend to, yes, and he could be happy that Kagome was there to take care of Rin when he was unable – she was a far better guardian than Jaken had ever been. But he wanted to be with them; to be done with Councils and lords and the problems of the future.

He scowled, and Kinawai laughed and reached for a cup and a flagon of wine. The dark liquid gurgled pleasantly and he gulped a mouthful and grinned.

"There will be time for domesticity later, Sesshomaru. Don't go soft on me now -"

Sesshomaru growled and Kinawai held back a second bout of laughter with difficulty.

"Enough, enough – I know, you haven't the patience for my sense of humor. Well – if that doesn't amuse you, then what about the rumors of your mate making their way across the land? Perhaps _they _will make you laugh."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. Laughter was the furthest thing from his mind.

"Rumors?"

"Yes. Listen – in the dens of all the Houses attached to the Great Council, and even on the winds which carry across the Western Sea, there is word going about your mate, and some of it -"

He leaned back in his chair and took a second, more appreciative sip of the wine.

"This is good. Hmm...yes – so. They say that your mate was raised in the Dreaming Wood by Eldest herself; they say that she has been kept in the secret places of your fortress since your father's youth, a hidden princess to be the mate of his future heir. They say that she was born of an egg kept hidden in the Secret Tomb of the last Dragonlord; they say that she fell from the moon and you found her and claimed her for the west."

Sesshomaru let out a huff of breath, impatient with such nonsense, and Kinawai's grin grew wider.

"There is only one thing all the rumors have in common, Sesshomaru. They call your Kagome Kakureta-hime, the Hidden Princess, and they caller her Shiro no Kimi, the White Lady of the West. Already, she is a legend about whom many stories are told; should I tell them to you, or maybe to her? Do you think she will be pleased?"

Sesshomaru glared at Kinawai with distinct displeasure.

"Do not tell her – no! No mocking nods from you, no false agreement! She _must not be told_. She has begun a dangerous thing, and I will not even tell _you_ what it is. If I had known before she began what this might entail I would have forbidden it, but at the time...it seemed like a good idea. Besides which once she has made up her mind...she's difficult to dissuade. I knew even in the beginning that I would never be able to control her."

Sesshomaru was thinking about the decision Kagome had made – to befriend Kasuka, to present herself as a potential ally instead of a potential threat. He didn't think it would work, despite the smiles that Kasuka put on in Kagome's presence, but the more reputation Kagome gained, the more influence her name bore, the more interest Kasuka might gain.

Kinawai looked at him shrewdly through slitted eyes.

"A dangerous thing...I see. Something to do with Kasuka – is that why she is so disturbed?"

Sesshomaru stiffened, but said nothing. Kinawai eyed him over the rim of his glass, drained it and then put it down with a heavy _click_.

"Withholding information, Sesshomaru? That won't do anything good, not for me and not for your mater, either."

"I do not want her to deepen her interest in this thing! I want her to forget about it, not starting thinking about how to use her greater influence – I don't _want _her to have Kasuka's ear, Kasuka's attention. There's danger in that!"

"There's danger in everything you intend, Sesshomaru, but it's not fair to your mate to keep things from her that might help her to help you...what is it you thought you could do, use Kagome as bait without putting her in danger?"

Sesshomaru's frown grew dark.

"_She_ is the one who wants to be bait!"

Kinawai's mouth opened in a silent_ O _of understanding, and Sesshomaru sank back against his chair.

"Enough, Kinawai. I won't tell you anything that could endanger her; I won't do what she's asking – I won't -"

A slight sound, the merest, quietest whisper of a rustle of silk, alerted Kinawai's ears, and he smiled, stood and turned to look over his shoulder toward the entrance to the pavilion. On the long, pale path of crushed stone Kagome is standing, her expression irritated, her eyes focused. He grinned at her, to let her know that he'd caught her eavesdropping – again - but she only glared at him defiantly and stomped across the stones and up into the pavilion in order to find the most fitting target for her displeasure.

Sesshomaru sat forward, startled; he hadn't expected her to come looking for him again for at least another hour.

"Kagome, Rin and Shippou -"

"Are asleep; I left them in Shippou's room, we can move Rin later. And _don't _think you can distract my by asking questions about the kids. You – you! I thought we agreed that I would -"

"Kagome! Not now."

Her temper flared and struck out at him with youki, almost a physical blow, and Kinawai leaned well back in his chair, content to watch the fireworks for now.

"Yes, now! No one is here but Kinawai, who you told me to trust – well, this is not how you treat people you trust. You _told_ me you _trusted_ him – as your father had trusted him, you said. Tell me, is that true?"

Sesshomaru stared at her, his irritation fading into surprise.

"I do not lie. It is true."

"Then why won't you let him help us? _I_ might decide to tell him, all by myself, if you don't! He's in a better position to help me figure out Kasuka than anyone else. You tell me all the time to accept my nature – my duty – my position – the dangerous being that I am, so – so let me be dangerous, and stop worry about my _safety_. _You're_ the one who died, in case you forgot!"

Sesshomaru stared down at Kagome and waited to be sure she was through. Her arms crossed beneath her breasts, and her face rebellious. Sesshomaru let out a long sigh.

"You will tell him if I don't. You will."

She didn't need to say anything to confirm his resigned statement. Sesshomaru swung his gaze from her face to Kinawai.

"When it became obvious to me that Kasuka would attempt to coerce Kagome into working against me, I told her this. Kagome decided it would be best to pretend to cooperate, and thus has set herself to spy upon your mate. She thinks she can discover why it is that Kasuka wants so badly to destroy me, and perhaps stop her, or find out what she is intending. She has been attempting since her Presentation to annoy me into procuring an invitation to visit you, so that she can _"get on with it_."

Kinawai stared for a moment, his gaze twitching back and forth between the two of them – and then he sank back into his chair, roaring with laughter. After a long couple of minutes, during which he regained control of himself, Kinawai looked up at Kagome, lips twitching.

"Lady, in order that the bond between yourself and the House of your birth not be completely sundered by your acceptance into the House of your mate, I invite you to the Deep Winter Feast to be held in six weeks time, at the full of next month's moon."

Sesshomaru's lips compressed into a thin white line, and then grew dark with blood where he had bitten them. Kagome squared her shoulders and bowed shortly to Kinawai, grinning with triumph.

"I accept, of course! Now, Kinawai – what can you tell me about Kasuka that might be useful? I know she's Dragon – and that she's my cousin – and that she's Eldest's daughter. Do you think I could bond with her by talking about her mother? Or -"

Kinawai sat up sharply and fixed her with a gleaming glare.

"_No_! No – you won't wake friendly feelings in her that way. No, you don't...want to mention her mother's name. She has no love for Eldest, or at least she doesn't now, if she ever did. The truth of her descent...I suspected, but I had no proof, and now that I do – or rather, now that Sesshomaru does, I can fill in the last piece of the story of her life that I was missing. Kasuka, the daughter of the Eldest of us...one of the terrors of the ancient world reborn."

His lips thinned, and he sank back against his seat again. Kagome crossed the floor of the pavilion and came to sit across from him. It was only after a long silence that Kinawai spoke further, and the tale he told, full of guesses and conjecture as it was, still ventured close to the truth – Kagome could _feel_ it. She could taste it, bitter words to tell the story of a bitter life.

* * *

"They – the Dragons I rule over – have never called me the Lord of the House of Fire. They speak of the Tiger who sits on the Dragon's throne – they call me _cat _and long for the ancient days when they were dominant. The days when any lesser beast seeking to rule over them would have been slain out of hand. It was for that reason that when I decided it was time to seek a mate, I knew that I would need to choose a Dragon female – a female who carried the old, high bloodlines – a female who would reinforce my authority by her mere presence."

Kagome nodded; she understood what he was saying, if not the reasons why it was true.

"I first heard of Kasuka when my mother was killed and the rule of the North passed into my hands. There was anger, and many Challenges, and I am certain that those who attacked me did it less because of _me_ and more because the beast within me, my youkai nature, is that of the Tiger...and not a Dragon. For them it was as if the great defeats of the ancient centuries had come for them again; another beast taking what they had made their own from them.

"My mother was Dragon, one with the Sight – a princess of the great house, a daughter directly descended from the Dragonlords and their kin. She made her future the way she wanted it to be, and chose herself a mate from among her suitors according to her own preference. There was no outcry then. They should have known when she took a Tiger for her mate what the result would be, but said nothing – for long years, nothing, until she died and it was made clear to them that there I alone was successor to the House of Fire. Perhaps they did not expect her to die – I know I didn't – she was old but not ancient, youkai and immortal...to this day I don't know how she died."

Kinawai shook off old memories and the pointless suspicions they carried.

"Despite the fact that I knew her name and that she was regarded as one of those with high blood, I was not the one who went seeking Kasuka. It was she who came looking for me; she who told me that she knew my trouble, that she would offer herself as my mate to ensure that the House of Fire remained glorious. I should have known that such an apparent sacrificewould be trouble, that _she _would be trouble, but at the time..."

Kinawai paused and shrugged. His eager audience didn't move a muscle; Kagome didn't want to miss a word.

"At that time, I was certain that my options were limited. To increase my hold would require terrible violence or some greater authority than I possessed. Kasuka didn't tell me the name of her parents, didn't make clear to me the source of her high blood – her dangerous lineage. To my lasting regret, I didn't pry when I should; I didn't bother to seek out knowledge that I didn't think I needed. She was Dragon, and powerful, and beautiful – and when she spoke, all her kin listened.

"I should have asked why, of course, but I was young and stupid and too pleased with the calm that had settled over the North to risk disrupting it with too many questions. Kasuka promised to mate me, to give herself up to me – and swore that with her would come the reins with which I could control the House of Fire. Before I ever mated her, before I had done more than hear her words and look at her, the truth of what she was promising was clear. From the moment I was first in her presence until very recently, the attitudes of the Dragons changed – never subservient, but always respectful.

"It was a far cry from what things had been like before she appeared, and so...I took her – but it grew clear to me very soon after that though I sought to use her for my own purposes, though I sought to control her kin through her, so did she seek control over me. Over the House of Fire – over all youkai. Not even a year passed before she began to whisper to me of the Dragonlord and of days gone past...and of the Inu no Taisho, and how he had grown weak.

"I laughed her to silence, and she never spoke of it again, but from that day to this I have never been in her presence with a good feeling in me. I have never stood near her and not felt like I was on the verge of being trapped by some vicious spider. She is my mate – she did everything she promised - and yet...there was that darkness, that feeling...always that feeling like she was hiding something important.

"A little more than eighty years ago, for the first time the sense of peaceful security that had _infected _me was broken. War broke out between humans; many youkai used the conflict as an excuse to move more freely among men, to take more lives than they might otherwise have done. The Dragons were no different...but the Inu no Taisho _was_. He took exception to their rampages across his lands, though they were directed against humans; he took exception to the fact that one of the lords of the Silent House thought it wise to insult his people...his power...and the woman he had chosen for himself, in defiance of all custom."

Kagome leaned forward in her chair.

"You mean Inuyasha's mother, don't you?"

Kinawai nodded and poured himself another glass of wine. Sesshomaru only scowled and continued to sit silent, stoic, face closed and gaze turned inward.

"Yes. His woman was not only human, she was a princess – the daughter of a noble house, though not a wealthy one. She was set to marry the son of a wealthy general, but her heart was caught by youkai magnificence and she defied her family and her own nature to be with the Inu no Taisho.

"I do not know, now, if it was because of Kasuka or not; certainly she's proved to hold a grudge long enough. Whatever the case, one day in late autumn, not long before the woman was due to give birth, Ryuukotsusei, the Lord of the Silent House, ignored all my orders and his own duty to common sense and gave deadly insult to the Inu no Taisho. They fought, a battle that lasted for days and nights, a battle like the old days that have come down to us only in myth.

"The strength of the Dragon was a great strength, but the Inu no Taisho was stronger; the Dragon's will great, but the Inu no Taisho's will greater. It was poison that made the difference, poison strong enough to overpower most magnificent youki. It couldn't kill the great Inu – he was too strong for that, and the venom could only weaken him...but that was enough. Sealed with one great, broken fang, Ryuukotsusei was still responsible for the Inu no Taisho's death. Only Dragon venom had weakened him enough that the humans who sought vengeance for their defiled princess could touch him.

"The Inu no Taisho died, and when he was gone Kasuka seemed to exert her control and restrain them. There was Council called, and deaths dealt in judgment, deaths Sesshomaru took with his own hands in payment for what had been stolen. The voices that cried out against it were silenced, but I was not satisfied. I wanted to know why Kasuka could not have restrained Ryuukotsusei before it was too late, when after he was sealed she was able to restrain the fools that called themselves his kin."

Kagome swallowed.

"Did – did she -"

"Didn't I say that I don't know? Yet I suspected, even then – because the influence she wielded had been perfect, and because the Inu no Taisho was always the great enemy of those who claimed descent from the Dragonlords. When I went searching for truth, all I found was missing pieces, none of which assembled properly. A daughter without a house; a duty without a holder; silence, on the lips of anyone who might have answered my questions.

"It was through my search for information that I encountered Eldest for the second time in my life. She turned me in the right direction, though now it appears that she could have told me the story herself -"

Kagome's gasp of indrawn breath cut off Kinawai's words.

"Kinawai – Kinawai _I know that story_. She _did _tell it – to me, during the rites of my presentation. She spoke for age and wisdom – she said that she had a daughter who had slain her son – Kinawai that must have been Kasuka, all those years ago -"

"Yes. More than a thousand years ago, Kasuka slew her closest kin and left her mother bereft. Why she did it, and how it benefited her – I don't know. I will never know, because only she knows her own reasons and she does not share herself with anyone. Even her name is not the same as it was. The daughter of Eldest recorded in the ancient records is not _Kasuka_ but Tetsukorikimi. In her youth, she was trained by her father, the next in line for the ancient throne of the Dragonlords – a Dragon _lady_, she would have been. Other than that name, no deeds of hers are recorded until the days when the Inu no Taisho rose up, and rebelled."

"And then?"

Kinawai's face turned more grim.

"She is listed among the witnesses who saw the Challenge of the Inu no Taisho against the last Dragonlord. It is written that when he died, she swore vengeance for him, and for all Dragons...but she vanished after that, and there is no more written anywhere about Tetsukorikimi."

Kagome licked her lips and pressed her hands flat against the table as Kinawai fell silent and drained the rest of his glass of wine.

"So she...she used to be a Dragonlord's daughter, and then she changed her name...but why?"

Finally, after so many minutes of silence, Sesshomaru spoke.

"Because Tetsukorikimi had made a promise, and Kasuka was nobody. Because Tetsukorikimi would have been slain in the Hunt my father led after the sons and daughters of the Dragons who would not submit to him. Because by the time she had reappeared, only Eldest remembered her face."

"So she could have her revenge and not let anyone know it was her?"

"No. So she could have her revenge and only let it be known what she had done after the fact. Do you see now, Kagome, how dangerous the course you've set yourself on is?"

She nodded.

"I do. But Sesshomaru – you haven't got a better plan, and I don't think there is one. Between the two of you, there's the whole story, or as much of it as a Record can carry. Everything else we need to know – who her allies are, and what she intends to do next, and how she managed to slip her _servants _into the fortress – only Kasuka herself can say, but she certainly isn't going to talk to either of you."

Kagome closed her eyes for a moment, and then looked toward Sesshomaru.

"And you know, Eldest offered to train me; she said when the full moon came -"

"That's nearly a week away, Kagome."

"Yes, but when I see her I can ask about Kasuka."

Sesshomaru's expression darkened.

"You think that is _wise_, Kagome?"

She shrugged.

"I think that it's one of the very few options we've got. I won't just sit around waiting while you try to figure out what's going on and then go out to fight, Sesshomaru. I'll help – I'll help anyway I can."

Sesshomaru stared at her, and then, slowly, he nodded.

"All right, Kagome. All right. I won't fight you – but I will do everything in my power to make this unnecessary."

She grinned.

"Of course. You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

His mouth didn't move, but his eyes smiled back at her, and Kinawai looked back and forth between the two of them and felt his earlier jealousy rekindle. If he could only have something like that -

He swore to himself in that moment that when Kasuka was dead, he would find himself a new mate. Someone who wanted him for no reason at all; someone he could love.

* * *

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WICCAN! Teehee. This is a surprise chapter, because it is Wiccan's birthday and why not! And it hasn't been a year, either. Ha! Onward soon, my dears, because now that Sesshomaru and Kagome and Kinawai all know what's been going on – as much as they can know – the Council will arrive. And there's drama and doom aplenty there, I assure you! Coming Soon: promises, platitudes, and war!

Please Review!


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